My Garden in Spring

The centerpiece of my garden in the Spring is clearly the daffodil. For some reason that entirely escapes me I am utterly entranced by this common bulb. I have found and planted varieties that bloom early, conventionally, and late. As a result there are daffs in bloom somewhere in the garden (and filling my office) from mid-March through late May and sometimes early June. The late bloomers in particular bring the neighbors to a dead stop on their way by. The slope behind my mailbox is blanketed in daffodils weeks after the last flower has faded elsewhere in the community.

Before the daffodils bloom, crocus and anenome blanda (Grecian windflowers) give notice that winter is behind us. Iris reticulata (small, bulbous iris) cover the ground under and around the dogwoods. A star magnolia at the corner of the house leads all the other flowering shrubs and trees into bloom.

Little bits of green peek up through the soil reminding me of what will come in summer. The fans of bearded iris, the crowns of coneflower and liatris push up new shoots. The red stalks of peonies rise up from spaces that have been empty for months. The pansies that have sulked through the winter lift their little faces to the sun.

Forsythia beside the pond send sprays of cheerful yellow flowers over the still dark water. With luck, there will be a warm weekend while the flowers are still in bloom to motivate me during the annual pond cleaning. Usually I put it off until after the forsythia have faded and I have to force the motivation from elsewhere. Not an easy task, since the goop at the bottom of the pond has a smell that is less than engaging.

As Spring fades into Summer, early single roses begin their long season of bloom. The Japanese, Virginia, and even bearded iris display their fluffy glories, cat mint begins its first flush of bloom to be repeated through the summer until frost, liriope dons a skirt of new foliage. Clematis sends out new shoots and sets the buds that will bloom later in the summer.

This time of year provides a broad diversity of cut flowers for my office, bringing some of the appeal and balance of the garden into the workplace.