Spring bloomers add some life to the landscape

3/16/2005

Do you have Gardener's Itch yet? I do. The days get longer and the snowdrifts get smaller.

My grandmother always used to say her favorite flowers were the first ones blooming in the spring - not just bulbs, but the perennials.

Put a few of these spring bloomers on your list when you visit the home and garden center.

●Ajuga: Low ground cover has blue and purple foliage, and some pink, white, and purple flowers. It grows in any light situation and in most well-drained soils.

●Bleeding Heart: Medium to tall plant has blooms that look like hearts dripping off a stem. Its flowers are purple, red, pink, and white. It needs part shade to shade and doesn't like to be moved.

●Brunnera: Medium plant with blue flowers is for a partly shady spot in the garden.

●Candytuft: Short tufts of white shoot out of this border plant, which is great for edging, loves full sun, and can grow in just about any type of soil.

●Columbine: Medium to tall plant blooms into summer. It is native in most areas, and has white, pink, red, yellow, blue, and purple unique blossoms.

●Cornflower: Medium plant has white, pink, blue, and purple blossoms. The flowers are great to dry and use in arrangements. The plant likes sun and will bloom into summer.

●Daylily: Very hardy plant likes nearly any light situation. It comes in many colors, shapes, and sizes, and is easy to multiply and divide. Medium and tall plants make great backdrops for other edgers.

●Euphorbia: Medium plant likes the sun and blooms in yellow and orange.

●Foxglove: Tall plant is easy to grow, likes part sun, and has white, pink, red, yellow, and purple flowers.

●Golden Marguerite: Plant grows in a variety of sizes, likes full sun, and has white and yellow blossoms.

●Iris: Very hardy plant comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors, and prefers sun and average soil.

●Lungwort: Low to medium grower has purple, red, pink, and white flowers. It grows best in part shade to shade, and has great foliage.

●Meadowsweet: Tall background plant has great foliage and white and pink blossoms. It grows best in part shade.

●Oriental Poppy: Medium to tall plant loves full sun and has red, white, pink, and yellow blossoms.

●Penstemon: Sun-loving plant blooms all season with white, pink, red, yellow, and purple flowers.

●Phlox: Very hardy plant comes in low, medium, and tall varieties, and in an array of colors. It loves the sun and part shade.

●Rockcress: Low grower has white and pink flowers.

●Soapwort: Low to medium plant blooms all summer in a sunny spot. It has white, pink, and red flowers.

●Thrift: Plant has white and pink flowers in full sun.

●Trillium: Medium grower does best in sun and part shade. It is a favorite of many gardeners and has white, pink, red, and yellow flowers.