Shrubs

• Many of the earliest flowering plants are spring-flowering shrubs. A few, like witch hazel, even flower in late winter. Usually these shrubs flower before their leaves appear.
  Forsythia, flowering quince, magnolia from the stellata group, pussy willow and redbud all flower very early. Flowering cherry and crabapple bloom in midspring.
  
  

Bulbs

• Spring-flowering bulbs also bloom very early, some while snow is still on the ground. Winter aconite, snowdrop and glory of the snow are the earliest, followed by crocus and squill. Then come daffodils and grape hyacinth. Tulips flower in mid to late spring, followed by allium and iris.
  
  

Perennials

• Many perennials bloom in the spring once the plants are mature. Typically, these plants break dormancy very early in the year and thrive in the spring sunlight. They become semidormant or dormant in the heat of summer. Some of them rebloom in the cool days of fall.
  Pansies, violets, columbine, forget-me-not and early phlox all flower in early to midspring. Poppies and pinks flower in the late spring.
  
  

Annuals

• Because annual plants sprout, grow, flower, set seed and die all in the same growing season, they do not naturally flower in the spring. However, many annual plants are gown to flowering size in greenhouses and sold at garden centers in the spring. They can be planted directly into the garden for immediate flowers, if the garden center has hardened them off so they can withstand cool local temperatures. If not, spend a few days gradually exposing them to local conditions before planting them in the garden.
  
  

Wildflowers

• Because so many wildflowers bloom in the spring before they are shaded by tree leaves, it is possible to create a spring garden composed entirely of wildflowers. Consider planting trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, wood anemone, wood hyacinth, bleeding heart and ferns for a beautiful wildflower garden.
  When purchasing wildflowers, the supplier should offer plants actually grown in the nursery, not collected from the wild. Many wildflowers are endangered or protected, and it is often illegal to collect them from their natural habitat.
  
  

Landscaping

• Planting bulbs and perennials beneath shrubs that bloom at the same time creates wonderful color in the spring garden. Choose plants with flowers in the same color range for a gentle, subtle blend, or plants with flowers in contrasting colors for a vivid splash of color. Remember that spring bulbs and many early blooming perennials die back in the heat of summer, sometimes disappearing completely. Planting them with summer- or fall-blooming plants will keep color in the garden throughout the growing season.