First up…

It’s hard to believe that our perennial “heralds of spring” will be emerging in just a few weeks.  Some of them will even pop up whether we have snow on the ground or not!  The sturdy crocus bulbs, that I planted about seven years ago, are always my first to emerge.  I planted them by the side door so that they can be truly appreciated for their early arrival each year on our way in and out of the house. The Lenton Rose (Helleborus) won’t be far behind, sometimes pushing right up through the melting snow.  Our native Pulsatilla, also known as pasque flower or Easter Flower, tend to bloom right around Easter, giving it its name.  And the Virginia Bluebells will be in their full glory split seconds before the Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra)!  All this talk of my favorite early spring bloomers is making me homesick for the garden and the smell of the fresh spring air.  If these plants are our first taste of floral color here in Minnesota after a long brown and white winter, then I think I should be planting many more of them!