• Snowdrops are one of the earliest flowering plants.Edward Shaw/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  After the dormant winter months, it's always a pleasure for gardeners to see the first blooms of the new growing season. A range of plants, including bulbs and shrubs, produce their blooms early to provide a colorful early spring and even late winter display. Some plants yield early blooms suitable for cutting, offering indoor as well as outdoor color.
  
  

Common Snowdrop

• Snowdrops, with their small white flowers, are one of the first plants to bloom in the early spring; sometimes, they bloom as early as late winter. Plant snowdrop bulbs in the fall to flower the following spring. Arrange them in clumps for a pleasing early display. Once established, they will come back year after year, with a larger spread each spring. Create more plants by digging up the bulbs between March and May and dividing them; take care not to let the bulbs dry out. Snowdrops grow in practically any soil but do best in a heavy, damp medium. These easy-to-grow plants reach a height of 6 inches.
  
  

Primrose

• Primroses, which are hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 5, bloom in early spring in a range of colors produced by over 400 varieties. Primroses favor a damp but well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. The plants may die if allowed to dry out, so check them carefully during warm, sunny weather. While they do well in full sun in the spring, primroses need shade cover during the summer months. The Washington State University Extension points out that you can grow primroses indoors in night temperatures of 50 to 60 degrees F combined with high humidity and daytime temperatures below 80 F. It recommends planting them outdoors after blooming.
  
  

Forsythia

• Forsythias produce bright yellow blooms in early spring, usually in March; after a mild winter, they can bloom as early as late January. The flowers, which bloom before the plant produces foliage, last for two to three weeks in the absence of frost. The Clemson University Cooperative Extension notes that the forsythia bush can be fast spreading and requires regular maintenance to keep it in bounds. Clemson warns against planting it near building foundations. Forsythias, which can grow to a height of 10 feet, are best pruned just after flowering has finished. Cut a branch just before it blooms, bring it indoors, put it in water and it will flower after about 10 days.