Spring is the perfect time to add a splash of color to your garden. With a few simple tips, you can create a showstopping display of vibrant hues that will attract attention and bring life to your outdoor space. From choosing the right flowers and plants to coordinating colors for maximum impact, with a little bit of creativity, you can turn your garden into an explosion of vibrant hues that will surely get noticed by both passersby and birds alike!
Here are six plants that can add showstopping color to a spring garden:
Deutzia - Deutzia is a genus of flowering shrubs and small trees native to East Asia and Central America. While most species are deciduous, some are evergreen. They have white or pinkish flowers that bloom in spring or early summer, depending on the species. Deutzia is an excellent choice for gardeners looking for a low-maintenance shrub with beautiful flowers. It is easy to grow and thrives in a variety of soils, from clay to sandy soil, and can be planted in full sun or partial shade. The plant can grow 1 to 8 feet tall and 2 to 8 feet wide. Deutzia also produces fruits that attract birds and other wildlife, making it an ideal addition to any garden. Hardiness zones 5-8.
Flowering Quince – Flowering Quince is a deciduous shrub that is grown for its pretty red or pink spring flowers. While it will produce fruit like Quince trees Flowering Quince fruit is not pleasant to eat raw, but it can be used in marmalades and jams. It blooms early in the spring and is very easy to grow requiring only full to partial sun and soil that is moist but not too wet. It grows up to 6 feet tall but there are shorter varieties of the shrub available. The thorns make it a good choice as a barrier plant and can be an effective deterrent to unwanted visitors. Finally, its branches can be cut in late winter and brought indoors for forcing. Hardiness zones 5-9.
Greek Valerian – Greek valerian is a native perennial that grows 8 to 20 inches tall. The slender stems are light green but can also appear reddish green. The pretty flowers are bell-shaped with 5 petals. The plant mainly is found with blue-violet blooms, but you can also find them in white, pink, and yellow. Greek valerian can be grown by seed by planting it in early spring. The plant will bloom in mid-spring and continue flowering until early summer. It is fragrant and wild-life resistant. This woodland-type wildflower prefers to be planted in a shady location bringing flowers to a location where you usually do not find them. The soil needs to be well-draining and kept moist. This plant easily self-seeds and spreads but it is not invasive. If you do not want this to happen just remove the seeds before they fall. Extreme humid conditions can bring leaf spot fungal diseases or powdery mildew. Hardiness zones 4-9.
Nemesia - Nemesia is an annual flower, available in a rainbow of colors. It will add brightness to your garden starting in the spring. Many varieties of this flower are bicolor. This flower is great in containers or complimenting your spring flowering bulbs. Nemesia is a sun-loving plant in the spring as it loves the cool sunny days. In the summer, you will need to move them out of the afternoon sun as it is too hot. The plant is low-maintenance and likes moist soil but does not like its feet to stay wet too long. Nemesia is popular to add in cottage gardens or any other old-fashion garden setting. Breeders have been working on new varieties that are more heat tolerant. It is hardy for zones 9-11.
Osteospermum - Osteospermum plants, also known as African Daisies, are native to South Africa, Madagascar, and tropical Africa and are also known as African Daisies. The daisy-like flowers bloom in late spring to early fall, taking time off in extreme heat. These plants are drought resistant and grow 1-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide. The most common color variations are purple, pink, white, and yellow but breeders continually introduce exciting new colors each year making them different from your traditional daisy. They produce nectar-rich pollen that attracts bees and other pollinators. Osteospermum plants are easy to care for and can be grown both indoors or outdoors as bedding plants or cut flowers. Deadheading will encourage more blooms. Hardiness zones 10-11.
Sweet Alyssum - Sweet Alyssum is a hardy annual flower that is a good filler in containers as well as an edging and bedding plant. Plant it in a window box and its pleasant honey-like odor can permeate a room. It is easy to grow from seed and it is not picky about soil conditions. Its flowers are white, pink, or purple and if you cut the flowers back in mid-summer they will bloom all over again. It does well in part-sun to full-sun conditions and if you plant it in just the right spot it will self-seed and come back year after year.
Nemesia photos courtesy of PlantHaven International, planthaven.com
Osteospermum photo courtesy of Jill Mazur
