The ground is still frozen but there are a few intrepid flowers that pop up as soon as possible in my zone 5 garden. The snow drops first appeared in late February as did the spidery blossoms of Hamamelis “Jelena” and are in their full glory now. Hamamelis “Arnold’s Promise” took a bit more time to come out but is in full bloom now as well.
I love the way snowdrops gradually spread over time and pop up here and there.
Jelena is not as scented as Arnold’s Promise but her copper spidery blossoms stand out against a white background and last a long time.
My Arnold’s Promise scents the late winter/early spring air on mild days and has reached a height of around 15 by 12 ft. The cheery yellow blooms certainly promise spring!
Every garden should have these underused lovely shrubs. Our native one, Hamamelis virginiana, blooms in November and December so between the two and snowdrops, I can have flowers almost year round even in my chilly Canadian garden!
As this is the first day of spring, its also time to get your planting schedule in gear and start seeding those early perennials.
Happy Spring everyone 🙂
