It’s hard to believe the first blooms of spring are gone. Sure, there might be a few late-blooming tulips still looking good, but for the most part, we’re moving into our second wave of spring.
There’s no doubt that it takes a lot of time, effort and money to turn a garden into your own little Eden.
Over the long haul, with proper planning, you will be amazed at the results. During the first spring I lived at my house, I put in all kinds of plants. I spent way too much money, and didn’t take the time to learn what plants would work best.
A lot of things didn’t survive, and I learned a valuable lesson. If you want to be successful, you must have a plan. You need to do some research, talk to neighbors and, if you’re lucky enough to have one close by, a knowledgeable nurseryman.
The plan that has taken me several years to put together is now well established. I love to have things blooming for most of spring and summer, so I put in bulbs and plants that bloom at various times. For example, I inherited two gorgeous and mature lilac bushes that were here when I bought my house. Their pale lavender flowers come very early each spring. To complement them, I bought two more.
One is a French lilac with white flowers, and it blooms a few weeks after the two mature plants. To round it all off, I have a late-blooming lilac with dark purple flowers that comes into its glory around the time my roses have their first show of the season, usually around Memorial Day. By adding these two newbies to the mix, I have lilacs in bloom for nearly two full months.
Flowering bulbs are another way to create a multi-season show. Most bulbs multiply quickly, are generally inexpensive and care free. Plant them correctly and leave them alone, and you will have years of beautiful flowers.
The list of things to create your little Eden is almost endless. Lilacs and bulbs are just two of many, many examples I have in my own yard. I’m sure you could come up with your own multi-page list.
Two catalogues that you might want to order come from John Scheeper’s and White Flower Farm.
Don’t worry if you haven’t done anything yet this spring. Your local nurseries are packed with all kinds of things to grow, including good-for-you fruits and vegetables. When I went to get the link above for John Scheeper’s, I saw that their fall catalogue will be out at the end of this month.
When I was growing up, my mom used to love escaping into her garden each day. She used to say her time in the backyard was her therapy session. Raising eight children by herself, who could blame her? When I was home recently, we spent a lot of time in her little Eden. Talking about a time of peace 🙂 Couldn’t we all use a bit more of that?
