Gifford Garden Notes
Early Bloomers
by Diane Fagergren
Spring has arrived and the gardening season is upon us. As I walk around the Gifford Garden, I am amazed at how many plants emerged over the weekend. In the poison plant bed you can find quite a few varieties of Helleborus orientalis, commonly called Lenten rose. They have been in bloom since the snow melted. What a sure sign of spring!
Dicentras or bleeding hearts make their show early on too. The ever-blooming variety 'Luxuriant' flowers continuously throughout the summer. It's blue green, fern-like foliage in combination with a dark ruby colored Heuchera pictured below is a striking combination.
 | Corydalis also blooms early in the spring. The cultivar 'Blackberry Wine' (shown on the left) is not as common as its prolific relative lutea (a yellow flowering form) but is an interesting edition to the garden. This plant is growing in a shady location where the soil is rich in organic matter but also dry due to the canopy of mature maples and their competitive fibrous root systems. |
Another plant combination that goes well together is Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells) and Stylophorum diphyllum (Celandine poppy). When designing a perennial border you need to pay close attention to the textures of the foliage and how one plant works in conjunction with its neighbor. This effect will lasts through the growing season. The bloom time and color are important factors, but I learned to garden more for leaf texture than flower. If you try this combination, keep in mind that the Mertensia will go dormant in the summer and the Celandine poppy will bloom and fill out the space.
In the xeriscape bed, which is an example of a water-efficient landscape, miniature daffodils, Arabis, Ericas, and Drabas have started to bloom. The large rocks in the bed give it structure, while the different colors of the hens and chicks form carpets in between the crevices.
All of these plants will be available at our Spring Plant Sale May 16, 17 and 18th. Please stop by and see the garden in the spring and pick up some irresistible perennials and shrubs at our sale!
Gifford Garden Archives, January 2003 - present
Gifford Garden Archives, July 2001 - January 2003