Hi GPODers!
Yesterday we enjoyed some lovely early spring flowers from the garden of Nancy Mellen in Hingham, Massachusetts (Early Spring Blooms in Nancy’s Massachusetts Garden), and today we have another frequent contributor showing off sensational spring photos. Kevin Kelly in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has shared his gorgeous garden’s evolution and four-season interest for several years now (Check out some of his past submissions: Kevin’s Pennsylvania Garden in November, Kevin’s Winter Garden That Supports Wildlife, Kevin’s Pennsylvania Garden in 2025, Containers in the Landscape, Transition to Summer, and many more), and yet there is always something new to admire in his photos. From the feast of bare forms and enchanting evergreens in his winter garden to the lively color of his peak summer blooms, there is always inspiration to gleaned from his naturalistic landscape and these spring scenes are no exception.
One of the earliest bulbs to bloom, winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis, Zones 3–7). This will naturalize the space. The foliage will be gone by late May. This area will fill in with ferns, thalictrum, anemone, and hardy begonia.
A large drift of ‘Purple Sensation’ allium (Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’, Zones 4–9) in the front yard. This is one of the earliest alliums to bloom. I love how it stands about the emerging herbaceous perennials. Attracts many generalist pollinators.
‘Oakleaf’ foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia ‘Oakleaf’, Zones 4–9) is a lovely native for average to moist soils. Grows best in part shade. Blooms in May.
Golden ragwort (Packera aurea, Zones 3–7) blooming in part shade beneath a mature Heritage® river birch (Betula nigra ‘Cully’, Zones 3–7). While it prefers moist soils, this plant thrives in this area despite the intense root competition.
Tulips in the hellstrip. I have planted most of the hellstrip, the area between the curb and the sidewalk. In these 3 sections, I plant about 600 bulbs, usually 2 types, that will bloom together. It makes an awesome spring display. Once finished, I compost them, and fill the area with summer annuals. Each year has a different color display.
I love this ‘Little Honey’ oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’, Zones 5–9). The native oakleaf hydrangea is a multi-season shrub. It has attractive foliage, beautiful white panicles of flowers in June, amazing fall color, and twisted stems with exfoliating bark for winter interest. ‘Little Honey’ has golden leaves and grows to 4 feet tall. The color looks great with the blue container.
This is the west border as viewed from the sidewalk. The driveway is to the left, and part of the shed is visible. I use the repetition of yellow to pull your eye along the border.
A view of the front yard in early May. You can see the only grass in the front yard. The lawn serves as a path as well as a low green space to rest the eye and separate the beds.
The cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, Zones 3–9) thrives in part shade and moist soils. It has dimorphic fronds (separate fertile and sterile fronds). The fertile fronds look like cinnamon sticks, but sadly has no scent.
A different view of the patio garden. This is the south side of the property. The house is on the left. I planted multiple trees to keep this area in shade. It is a wonderful place to sit in the heat of summer.
Thank you so much for another incredible update from your garden, Kevin! I’m endlessly impressed by your stunning palette of plants and the interest you maintain in every season.
Before the sweet days of spring are replaced by the heat and frenzy of summer, I would love to feature more early season gardens on the blog. Please consider sharing photos of your spring garden highlights and letting us know how the growing season is going for you for far. Follow the directions below to submit your photos to Garden Photo of the Day!
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.
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Lee Valley Garden Obelisks
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Sturdy yet lightweight, these obelisks provide ample support for climbing plants while being easy to install and move. The medium obelisk stands 68 1/2″ high overall with a diameter of about 9 1/2″, compact enough for smaller containers indoors or out. The large size stands 86 1/2″ high with a diameter of 15 3/4″, ideal for larger outdoor spaces and containers.
Lee Valley Garden Knife
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These knives have a trowel-like blade with a sharp edge to let you use the same tool for digging, planting and cutting. The blade is sharpened on both sides, with serrations on one edge to help with cutting tough roots or dividing perennials. Deeply stamped markings on the blade (in 1/2″ and 5mm increments) help you set the correct planting depth for seeds and bulbs.
