Spring Bloomers That Catch The Eye

 Kalmia latifolia 'Alba'
    Mountain Laurel,  Calico Bush,  Ivy

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    4A to 8A
Height    6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Spread    6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Oval
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Evergreen


Bloom Color    White
Bloom Time    Spring

The flowers are very showy.


Environment
This plant tolerates some drought.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to neutral (less than 6.8 to 7.2) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    No change in fall color


Culture Notes
Mountain Laurel does best on moist, acid soils of moderate fertility and drainage and can tolerate sunny locations, if provided with sufficient moisture and not allowed to dry out. Plants in a sunny spot flower better. Mountain Laurel is not salt tolerant.  Mountain Laurel is ideally suited to natural landscapes and other low-maintenance gardens where it can be allowed to grow to its natural form and size, with pruning only to remove spent flower heads and dead branches. Provide good drainage or plants die. Like many shrubs, amending the entire planting bed, not just the planting hole, with organic matter such as pine bark or peat improves root and shoot growth.

All parts of the plant are poisonous causing watering of the eyes, nose and mouth followed by vomiting, abdominal pain, and low blood pressure. Plants perform poorly in zone 8B and south. Young plants in 3 gallon containers can be forced to produce flowers in spring with spray applications of certain growth regulators. In spring or early summer, all plant surfaces need to be covered with the spray in order to be effective.  No shoot growth takes place in the growing season they are sprayed so perform any necessary pruning well before application.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

 

Prunus triloba 'Multiplex'
    Flowering Almond,  Double Flowering Plum

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    3B to 6A
Height    10' to 15' / 3.00m to 4.60m
Spread    10' to 15' / 3.00m to 4.60m
Growth rate    Average
Form    Rounded and vase shaped
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Deciduous


Bloom Color    Pink
Bloom Time    Spring

The flowers are very showy.

Environment
This plant tolerates some drought.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to neutral (less than 6.8 to 7.2) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    Copper and yellow
This plant has attractive fall colors.

Culture Notes
Flowering Almond grows best in sun or partial shade on rich, moist soil.  Keep turf grass cleared away from a 4 to 6-foot diameter circle around the tree.  It transplants well balled and burlapped.  It can be sculptured nicely into a unique form with proper pruning and training and is well suited for container gardening.  Regular pruning is needed for best flowering performance.  Branches cut in early spring can be forced into bloom indoors.

A regular fertilization program with slow release nitrogen is recommended to keep plants vigorous. Too much nitrogen in the soluble form could stimulate sprouting. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people. Foliage from most members of this genus is considered poisonous when ingested.

Provide good drainage in an acidic soil for best growth. Crowns become one-sided unless they receive light from all around the plant, so locate in full sun. Select a different plant if soil is poorly drained, but otherwise cherry adapts to clay or loam. Roots should be kept moist and should not be subjected to prolonged drought. Pruning should be completed after flowering and by late spring to ensure next year's flower buds are not removed.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Spring transplanting best

Balled-and-burlapped and bare root trees recover best when transplanted in late winter or early spring in the cooler portions of North America.  This usually corresponds to the initiation of root growth.

Ageratum houstonianum 'Blue Danube'     

syn. Ageratum mexicanum
    Garden Ageratum,  Floss Flower

Type    Annual
Height    6" to 12" / 15cm to 30cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Rounded
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color    Blue
Bloom Time    Spring through Fall

The flowers are suitable for cut flowers.

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green 

Culture Notes
In hot summer climates, plant Ageratum in partial shade.  This plant is easy to care for.

Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Goblin'
    Blanket Flower

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    3A to 10A
Height    8" to 12" / 20cm to 30cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Full sun

Bloom Color    Red and yellow
Bloom Time    Spring through Fall

The flowers are suitable for cut flowers.

Environment
This plant tolerates drought.
This plant will grow in dry to moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green

Culture Notes
This cultivar is of the "Monarch Strain" of Gaillardias.  These plants can grow in sandy, dry soil in the warmer plant zones. In late summer, cut back to encourage a fall bloom.  Do not remove foliage from the plant in late fall.  This helps to protect the plant in colder climates.   Stem cuttings can be taken in late summer, and seeds can be collected after flowering.  Spring cut dead foliage only, and deadhead after blooming to keep plant attractive.   Plants serve as hosts for butterfly larvae. Plants go well with: Coreopsis, Stokesia, Caryopteris, and Platycodon.  'Goblin' has gorgeous red blossoms with bright yellow margins.

Lavatera thuringiaca 'Bredon Springs'
    Tree Mallow,  Tree Lavatera

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    5A to 8A
Height    5' to 6' / 1.60m to 1.80m
Spread    4' to 5' / 1.20m to 1.60m
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Full sun

Bloom Color    Pink
Bloom Time    Spring and Summer

The flowers are showy.

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil. 

Leaf Color    Green

Culture Notes
These plants look more like small to medium-sized woody shrubs.  In colder climates, they may die back to ground level during the winter months.  However, new growth will return in the spring.   Although Tree Mallow blossoms are short-lived, they bloom profusely throughout the summer.  'Bredon Springs' has pink blossoms with white centers borne on long spikes.   Its foliage is softly pubescent.

Protect from cold, drying winds, and protect the root system by a fall mulching.