“Here are some options to make next spring brighter than ever,” says Hazel
If you want to make it a spring to remember, revitalise your display by planting a mix of brilliant bulbs, perfect perennials and shrubs that shine. Do it now, says Hazel Sillver
IF your only spring colour is a few daffs and a forsythia bush, and you fancy boosting the show, this is the time to get planting. The best way to put more bloom in your spring bank is by getting a range of early-flowering perennials, shrubs and bulbs in the ground now, for a cheering display of colour and perfume from March to May.
Spring is, of course, bulb-tastic. So why not start by extending your range or style of bulbs? You might opt for striking colours (such as the burgundy tulip ‘Queen of Night’ or the blazing blue squill ‘Spring Beauty’). Or maybe something pretty and feminine (soft yellow Erythronium ‘Pagoda’, say, or the white Narcissus ‘Thalia’). And if you fancy impact, try crown imperials
(Fritillaria imperialis), with their punkhaired torches of yellow or tangerine.
Mix and match
On their own, bulbs can look sparse, however. Spring-flowering perennials and low shrubs are the perfect foils, creating a sense of fullness that stops us longing for summer. Euphorbias (like
E. epithymoides) produce wonderful mounds of golden lime; bleeding hearts and columbines flower above lush foliage; forget-me-nots form pools of sky blue. And you can never have enough wallflowers – planting plenty of erysimums will ensure the garden is filled with perfume throughout spring.
Other vernal plants to scent the air include climber Clematis montana, a cottage garden must-have that will clad a shed in clove-scented blush flowers during May, and skimmia, a low evergreen shrub with fragrant white blooms. If you have space, consider training a lilac (such as ‘Madame Lemoine’) into a small tree to enjoy its beautifully scented flowers in late spring.
Woodland winners
Shady corners can be illuminated with wood anemones (such as A. nemorosa ‘Robinsoniana’), lungworts and lily of the valley. And grow nectar-rich flowers in sun to provide pollinators with easily accessible food sources as they emerge from hibernation: the sight of bees buzzing contentedly amongst rosemary, flowering currant and the dwarf cherry ‘Kojo-no-mai’ is simply wonderful at the end of a long, bleak winter.
Plant now and look forward to a heart-warming show of colour, scent and wildlife in a few months’ time.