Hi GPODers!
Depending on where your garden is located, and the types of plants you prefer to grow, your season of flowering might be bright and brief or layered and long. For Susan Hutchins in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, she has curated a stellar selection of plants that allow her to enjoy flowers from the tail-end of winter right through until the first frosts. Today’s submission is the first we have seen of Susan’s garden, and focuses on the flowers that begin her long flowering season with a bang, but hopefully we will see more of her garden’s succession of blooms is future submissions.
Greetings,
I have been gardening on this site in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (Zone 6a) for the past 40 years. When we bought this house, it had two small flower beds and lots of lawn. Over the years we have expanded the gardens and reduced the lawn. We added a waterfall and koi pond about 30 years ago. I plant perennials that start blooming early in the spring and late in the autumn so that I can see flowers as long as possible. We have a lot of deer and bunnies in the area so I am always trying new products to keep them from eating the plants. It is an ongoing challenge.
In the first pictures are winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis, Zones 3–7) which are little yellow flowers that bloom in mid-February.
A white hellebore, which blooms at the same time as the winter aconites.
In April the Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica, Zones 3–8) show up with their beautiful blue flowers. The best part of Mertensia is that the entire plant fades away in about a month making room for summer blooming flowers.
More hellebores in white…
as well as dark burgundy and pink bloom in March and April.
Trillium in white (Trillium grandiflorum, Zones 4–8) and red (Trillium erectum, Zones 4–7) with Grecian windflower (Anemone blanda, Zones 5–8).
The ferns are starting to unfurl and come to life. We have a lot of shade in our backyard so I grow many different kinds of ferns, variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum’, Zones 3–8), brunnera and other shade-loving plants.
Soon the yellow lady’s slippers (Cypripedium parviflorum, Zones 3–8) will bloom.
The orioles (Icterus galbula) return to the feeder of grape jelly every year around the end of May. Sometimes there are 5 at the feeder at once.
My husband takes care of the koi and the pond. I do the land gardening.
We have had these same fish for about 15 years and as you can see, they are well-fed.
Thank you so much for this early season introduction to your garden, Heather! I love the mix of early bloomers you have collected, and I hope we have a chance to see the blooms that emerge throughout your long flowering season.
What flowers have emerged in your garden so far, and which ones are you most looking forward to seeing later in the year? We would love to see photos of the floral highlights from your garden. Follow the directions below to submit your photos to Garden Photo of the Day!
Â
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, fill out the Garden Photo of the Day Submission Form.
You can also send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Gardener’s Log Book from NYBG
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
This weatherproof five-year log book includes the following features:
· Sturdy waterproof cover to protect pages from rain and muddy soil
· Lined pages and gridded paper for plotting beds
· Five years of 12-month bloom and harvest grids for recording what you planted and when
· Authoritative appendices on composting, pruning, pest and disease control, and container gardening
· Useful reminders by season on fertilizing, mulching, and transplanting
· Space for listing your favorite sources and suppliers.
Lee Valley Mini Garden Shear Set
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
These shears have a distinctive finger rest that not only aids grip but allows greater freedom of movement than a conventional handle design. They have a durable powder-coat finish to resist rust and wear, and a simple clasp that locks the spring-action stainless-steel blades closed. The set includes one pair of round-nose shears measuring 5 1/2″ overall with 1″ blades for cutting stems up to 3/8″ in diameter, and one pair of 6 1/2″ needle-nose shears with 2″ fine-tip blades for precise work.
The Crevice Garden: How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky places
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
A crevice garden replicates the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, coastlines, and other exposed or rocky places on earth. These striking garden features provide perfect conditions for the plants native to these far-off places, bringing the cultivation of these precious gems within everybody’s reach.
