The Best Spring Flowers and Tips for Growing Them
Depending on what area of the country you’re in, or what gardening zone you’re in, spring may not necessarily come when the calendar says it’s spring. For some of you lucky gardeners in warmer climates, spring arrives early. And, for those of us in cooler climates, Spring may or may not arrive by the calendar date. When it does arrive, it’s an amazing time of year in the garden. After a long, cold winter, those little bits of green emerging from the ground are a welcome sight! Please join me today as I share the Best Spring Flowers, along with some tips for growing them.
Updated for 2023 with lots and lots of beautiful spring garden pictures either from my gardens, or our reader’s gardens.
Unlike summer-blooming plants, to have spring flowers you have to plan ahead. The best time to plant spring flowering shrubs, perennial plants and bulbs is in the early fall (before the ground freezes) of the previous year. Spring flowering bulbs must be planted in the fall and need a prolonged cold period. Simply plan and plant ahead, and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful spring flowers the following growing season.
Most all these are not only beautiful flowers, but they are also tough as nails. Early spring flowers in full bloom can withstand the last frost, freezing temperatures, and even a late March blizzard. Unfortunately, I’m speaking from experience.
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Spring Blooming Flowers Grown From Bulbs
Here are a few of my favorite Spring Blooming Flowers that are grown from bulbs:
- Snowdrops have small white flowers and are often the first flowers of spring.
- Crocus some of the first bloomers in my spring gardens with lots of colorful blooms.
- Glory of the Snow (a/k/a Chionodoxa), another very early bloomer with pastel-colored flowers.
- Grape Hyacinths are some of my favorites with their unique, perfect flowers that last several weeks.
- Daffodils with their classic yellow flowers are a must have in your landscape or flower bed. Daffodil bulbs are poisonous too, so squirrels and other rodents won’t eat them – win, win!
- Hyacinth have great-smelling blooms in a wide range of colors. Plant some right by your front door, so you get a nice whiff of them when you come home.
- Tulips – Do your tulips come up year after year without fail… and then never set bubs or bloom? I’ve learned over the years that in my zone 4 gardens, tulips are very short lived perennials, so I just plant new bulbs every fall.
The great thing about early spring bloomers that require full sun is that trees haven’t leafed out yet, so you don’t have to worry too much about your flowers being shaded.
If you need some great tips and instructions for planting your spring bulbs in the fall for beautiful flowers the following year, be sure to pop over to the post and save a pin to Pinterest so you can refer back to it.
Spring Blooms in the Shade Garden
If you think there isn’t color in a shade garden, think again.
Lenten Rose (a/k/a helleborus) are some of the first bloomers and may even bloom in late winter in warmer gardening zones. Lots of different varieties to choose from too. They are hardy in zones 4-9 and prefer a partly shady spot in your garden. Once they are established, lenten rose will do fine in dryer conditions.
Bleeding hearts are beautiful, shrub-like perennials with rows of dangling heart-shaped flowers in pink tones and white. The are hardy in zones 3-9 and prefer to be planted in shade or partial shade with morning sun. Don’t be alarmed if your bleeding heart dies back in the heat of summer, that’s completely normal.
Brunnera is a plant that has variegated foliage and has little blue delicate flowers and is also referred to as false forget-me-not. Brunnera prefers shade and pairs well with hostas. It is hardy in zones 3-8. To keep it looking tidy through the growing season, trim the spent blooms and any ugly foliage from the plant.
Pulmonaria (a/k/a lungwort) does well in both full shade and part shade gardens. The plant has spotted leaves and the daintiest little flowers in shades of pink, violet and even blue. It is hardy in zones 2-8.
Lamium is a low-growing ground cover with variegated foliage and pink, white or lavender flowers. It blooms almost all summer in partial shade and deep shade in my garden beds. Some say it’s overly aggressive in their flowers beds, but I have not found that to be the case. It’s also referred to as spotted dead nettle and is hardy in zones 4-8.
Ajuga (a/k/a bugleweed) is a low-growing groundcover that loves the shade. It has many different varieties of foliage colors, along with purple flowers. Ajuga can be rather aggressive, but its easy to pull out where you don’t want it. Ajuga is so striking in a shade garden and is hardy in zones 3-9.
Lily of the Valley – be careful this one will take over if you let it. Lily of the Valley is best know for its pungent aroma. Whether in the garden, or in a bouquet, lily of the valley has an amazing scent. It is hardy in zones 3-9.
Need more ideas for colorful plants for your shade gardens, check out this post.
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More Popular Spring Flowers
To round out your flower bed and have a long season of blooms, be sure to add some of these beautiful perennials to your gardens.
Candytuft (Iberis) is a mid-spring bloomer in my zone 4 gardens. It’s a low growing perennial that works well in the front of a border. Sometimes, if conditions are right I will get a rebloom if I sheer the plant back after it’s initial bloom. Candytuft will do best in full sun and is hardy in zones 3-9.
- Peonies are a quintessential spring flower. Everyone wants peonies, even if they aren’t a gardener. Confession time… although I love peonies, they are on my overrated perennials list. You can read why after you’ve finished up here. Peonies love full sun and are hardy in zones 3-7.
Primrose (primula vulgaris) is another perennial that has lots of very different cultivars. I love it’s bright cheery colors. Primrose prefers a little more shade that other sun loving spring flowers. It is hardy in zones 4-8.
Columbine (Aquilegia) in my gardens kind of has a mind of its own and doesn’t always stay put. In other words, it will reseed around the gardens and come up in unexpected places. I totally okay with that. There are many different varieties that have been hybridized from the native species. I have many in my gardens. Columbine will grow in shade or sun and doesn’t seem to picky about either. It’s hardy in zones 3-9.
Gas plant is a beautiful shrub like perennial that blooms in late spring – early summer. When the blooms have finished, they form star-like pods. Gas plant is often hard to find, but if you happen upon one definitely add it to your garden. You won’t be disappointed. It prefers full sun and is hardy in zones 3-8.
Siberian iris is the perfect spring plant if you have a damp area. Although they don’t bloom very long, especially if the weather turns warm, but they are pretty while they last. It grows well in full sun and part sun, and is hardy in zones 2-9.
Anemone is available in so many varieties. The variety pictured below is blanda and it’s a spring bloomer that is grown from bulbs (or really croms). It’s also know as Grecian windflower. This is a bulb that can be planted in spring and it will bloom just a few weeks later. It prefers full sun/partial shade and is hardy in zones 2-7.
Perennial Alyssum Gold Dust has mounds of pretty little bright yellow flowers. It prefers full sun and is hardy in zones 4-8. I started the bunch pictured below from seed using the winter sowing method.
Irises
Iris is another fragrant spring blooming perennial that just doesn’t last long enough. It’s another plant that I think is overrated, but I keep adding them to my gardens. Lol!
Are you having problems with your irises blooming? I once had an elderly gardener friend that said once you can see 5 leaves on an iris plant, you’ll get blooms that year. I’m not sure if that’s true, but thought I’d pass it along.
Really, if you aren’t getting blooms on your iris, check to see if you have it planted too deep. The top of the rhizome should be uncovered. So it might be as simple as pushing any mulch or soil away from the top of the rhizome, or you may need to raise the plant.
Irises are one of those plants that are nearly impossible to kill. Even though they don’t flower nearly long enough, their foliage stays looking pretty good throughout the summer.
Perennial Flowers That Bloom in Late Spring:
Asiatic lilies – one can never have too many lilies in their gardens. Asiatic lilies are grown from bulbs and prefer well-draining soil and full sun. They are hardy in zones 3-10. For more information about growing lilies, be sure to check out the post. Lots of beautiful pictures there too.
Perennial Salvia is a stunning plant in shades of pink and purple (even blue in some varieties). It starts blooming in late spring and will rebloom if sheared back after the blooms start to fade. Salvia are deer resistant, but the bees adore them. Plant salvia in full sun gardens. It is hardy in zones 4-8.
Yellow loosestrife (Alexander lysimachia) – Unlike many of its cousins, this loosestrife is not invasive and does not take over your flower gardens. The yellow spikes of flowers are striking and the foliage looks good all summer long, once the spent blooms are clipped from the plant. It prefers full sun and is hardy in zones 4-8. Pro tip: clip all green foliage from this variegated plant so that the variegated foliage does not revert to all green.
Delphinium prefers full sun, but does not particularly care for hot afternoon sun. It is grown mostly for its tall spike flowers in blue tones, although it comes in other colors too. Its a great cut flower for bouquets. Delphinium is hardy in zones 3-7.
Clematis comes in many different varieties and is best know as a vining plant. The top of you clematis vine prefers sun, but the bottom prefers to be shaded. Depending upon the variety, clematis is hardy in zones 4-9 and many varieties start blooming in spring. Check out this post for the complete guide to growing clematis.
Lupine are stunning spring blooming perennials. They are fairly short-lived perennials in my gardens, but I grow them anyway because they are so striking. Lupine prefers full sun, but will do okay with part sun. They are hardy in zones 4-8.
Allium is part of the onion family and if you’ve ever smelled an allium bulb you will recognize that. Allium flowers are in a sphere shape and are unlike most other flowers. If you don’t have allium in your gardens, add some this spring. Allium is hardy in zones 3-8 and they prefer full sun.
Baptisia (a/k/a false indigo) is native to North American and comes in many different varieties. The blooms only last a few weeks, but the foliage is lovely and looks great all summer long. The foliage also looks great in floral arrangements. Bees love the flowers in spring. Baptisia prefers full – part sun and is hardy in zones 3-9. Baptisia can grow quite large and are very difficult to transplant due to their tap root. So be sure to plant them in a location where they can live permanently.
Don’t forget about spring blooming shrubs like Azaelas, Forsythia and Lilacs to name a few. Also spring blooming trees. Crabapple, Cherry trees, Apple trees, Red Bud and Magnolia are a few of the most popular ones in my area, but there are many more.
How to Keep Rabbits and Deer from Eating Your Flowers
Do you have deer or rabbits munching off the buds of your spring flowers, especially tulips? That’s so frustrating! I’ve had the best luck with Liquid Fence. Be prepared though, it smells like the devil. I’ve also used Milorganite. It’s actually an organic fertilizer made from dried wastewater and manufactured by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Sounds disgusting and apparently deer think so too.
Irish Spring Soap is also off-putting to deer and rabbits. There are tons of other products on the market to repel deer and rabbits, but these are the main things I’ve had success with. If you have a persistent problem with deer or rabbits, stay on top of fighting the battle and change up different remedies and use multiple remedies. Here are more tips for Dealing with Garden Pests.
Tips for Dealing With Spring Flowers After They Have Bloomed
Oh what to do with ratty looking foliage from tulips and daffodils. Once the flowers are done blooming, be sure to clip the stems of your spring bulb plants so the plant doesn’t put energy into setting seed, but do not cut the foliage. I know it gets really ugly, but in order to recharge and fortify the bulb for the next blooming season, you need to let the foliage die. Once it’s yellow, then you can cut it off. Here are some tips on how to hide that ugly bulb foliage:
- Plant spring blooming bulbs around plants whose foliage will cover the dying bulb foliage. I have lots of daylilies, so I try to plant my bulbs right up against the daylilies. As the bulb foliage is dying, the foliage from the daylilies is growing fast and furious to hide the bulb foliage. Hosta foliage also works great for covering dying bulb foliage, as do many other perennials.
- When I’m working with dying tulip foliage where there aren’t perennials to hide the dying foliage, I simply lay the foliage flat to the ground and lightly cover it with mulch. The foliage still needs sunlight. Sometimes I will even step on it to smush the leaves down a bit.
flowers blooming from early spring right through fall?
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Gardening Printables to Plan Your Spring Garden
There are lots of helpful Free Gardening Printables available to subscribers in the Gardening Resources Library. There are simple printables like graph paper so you can sketch out your flower or vegetable beds, or there are great resources like Designing with Perennials for Continuous Color, lots of checklists, and even garden pictures with inspirational quotes for framing. Just pop over and check the resource library out. I think you’ll be amazed.
More spring gardening articles you’ll enjoy:
Early Spring Garden Ideas
Spring Garden Cleanup
Planting Bulbs in the Fall for Amazing Spring Flowers
I’m super excited that you stopped by Gingham Gardens today! What are your favorite spring blooming flowers? Do you have any tips I didn’t mention? If so, please leave a comment at the end of the post. As always, if you have a gardening question, feel free to leave that in the comments section as well. I love hearing from my readers. Thanks a bunch for stopping by and come back soon!
Happy gardening,
Joanna
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