By Andrew Bunting
PHS Vice President, Public Horticulture
Spring Flowering Shrubs
This is one of my favorite times of the garden year. The garden begins to awaken by early spring with bulbs such as snowdrops, Galanthus; Siberian squills, Scilla siberica, glory-of-the-snow, Chionodoxa luciliae; daffodils, Narcissus; early flowering magnolias and forsythia. It is also a great time of year for a host of other early spring flowering shrubs.
First to Arrive
Blooming now in my garden is the earliest of the spiraea to flower. Generally, spirea tend to bloom in April, if not, May, but the Thunberg Spirea typically flowers in the middle of March. I chose Spiraea thunbergii Mellow Yellow™ for its narrow yellow or chartreuse leaves which are now just emerging, as well as an incredible abundance of small white flowers which cover the shrub. It grows best in full sun but will tolerate a bit of shade. Once it is finished flowering it will flaunt its chartreuse-yellow foliage, which combines nicely with purple-foliaged shrubs like the smokebush, Cotinus coggygria ‘Velvet Cloak’ or one the purple-leaved ninebarks, Physocarpus opulifolius Diablo™.
