9 Early Blooming Spring Plants That Will Wake Up Your Garden
Winter feels like it lasts forever when you're waiting for the first sign of spring in your yard. It's easy to get discouraged by the gray skies and bare branches, but you don't have to wait until May for color to start blooming. We can wake up the garden much earlier with the right plant choices. These nine plants are hardy, reliable, and bloom in early spring, bringing signs of life when we need them most.
Hellebores
You'll often hear these called Lenten Roses because they bloom around the start of Lent. They're incredibly tough perennials that don't mind the cold one bit. In fact, you'll often see their nodding heads pushing right up through the snow. They also prefer shady spots where other plants might struggle to grow. Once established, they're drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, which makes them a low-maintenance choice for a woodland edge or a shady corner that needs brightening up.
Snowdrops
There's something hopeful about seeing Snowdrops appear. They're usually the very first bulbs to break ground, sometimes blooming as early as January or February depending on your area. They don't need much attention to thrive either. You should plant the bulbs in the fall, and they'll come back year after year. They look best when they're planted in large drifts rather than single rows. Over time, they'll multiply and create a natural white carpet under your trees.
Winter Aconite
If you're craving yellow, Winter Aconite is your answer. These low-growing plants look like buttercups and often bloom alongside Snowdrops. They're perfect for rock gardens or planting under deciduous trees since they do their growing before the trees leaf out. The tubers can be dry when you buy them, so it's a good idea to soak them overnight before planting. They aren't fussy about soil, but they do require good drainage to prevent rotting.
Witch Hazel
Most early bloomers are low to the ground, but Witch Hazel adds some needed height and structure. It's a deciduous shrub that offers a unique, spicy fragrance when little else smells like anything. The flowers look like crinkled ribbons of yellow, orange, or red clinging to the bare branches. It's a fantastic choice if you want winter interest that isn't an evergreen, and you can even cut a few branches to bring inside and force them to bloom early.
Crocus
Crocuses are classic for a reason. They offer a huge range of colors from deep purples to bright golds. They're small, so they fit almost anywhere in the garden, even directly in your lawn. One challenge you might face is that squirrels love digging up the corms. You can try planting them deeper or covering the planting area with chicken wire before adding mulch to keep them from digging holes across your yard. It's worth the effort when you see that first splash of purple.
Siberian Squill
These tiny blue flowers are incredibly cold-hardy and will naturalize rapidly. They're known for their intense, electric blue color that stands out starkly against brown mulch or melting snow. They're excellent for naturalizing in lawns because the foliage dies back before you need to mow the grass for the first time. Just be aware that they spread...enthusiastically. If you want a plant that stays in one tidy spot, this probably isn't the one for you.
Pansies
Pansies are great because they offer instant gratification. While many other plants on this list are perennials or bulbs you wait on, you can buy blooming pansies at the nursery in early spring and pop them right into containers. They handle light frosts very well. If a hard freeze is predicted, you might need to cover them, but they usually bounce back. They're cheerful, come in endless colors, and are the perfect way to welcome guests near your front door.
Pussy Willow
We often forget about texture in favor of color, but Pussy Willows offer a beautiful, soft architectural element. The fuzzy catkins appear long before the leaves do. It's a fast-growing shrub that loves moisture, so it's a smart choice if you have a damp spot in the yard that tends to stay wet in spring. You'll need to prune it regularly to keep the size in check, but the branches look lovely in a tall vase on the kitchen table.
Grape Hyacinth
Grape Hyacinth, or Muscari, produces spikes of small, bell-shaped flowers that look like clusters of grapes. They're very easy to grow and generally reliable. They produce foliage in the fall that lasts through winter, which helps you remember where they're planted. They also have a lovely, light fragrance that you're sure to notice on a sunny afternoon. They're sturdy little plants that don't flop over easily in spring rain.
It's rewarding to see the garden come alive while the rest of the world is still waking up. Adding just a few of these plants can extend your gardening season by weeks or even months. Remember that gardening is a process, and it's okay to start small. Maybe pick one or two from this list to try out this year. You'll thank yourself next March when you look out the window and see colorful flowers instead of just gray.