After the long grey nights of winter, it鈥檚 been lovely to experience these warm days of spring. We have decorated the store in a variety of spring-blooming plants such as the gorgeous magnolia soulangeana, with its luscious pink tulip-shaped flowers bursting forth to lead the parade.
The heady scents of hyacinths and muscari fill the greenhouse with fragrance, and the smiling faces of pansies and violas cheerfully guide visitors along the way. It鈥檚 difficult to say which plant makes the most impact. We have had an array of tulips and daffodils bursting with a kaleidoscope of colour and they all seem to say 鈥渉ello look at me.鈥�
One of the most dramatic combinations is the tulips 鈥楺ueen of the Night鈥� and 鈥楻em鈥檚 favourite鈥� with the narcissus 鈥楾halia鈥�. 鈥楺ueen of the Night鈥� is still considered one of the best blacks on the market: this popular elegant single tulip has deep velvety maroon black blooms on sturdy stems and is a winner of the Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. The showy 鈥楻em鈥檚 Favourite鈥� is spectacular with its long-lasting ivory-white blooms delicately painted with deep wine flames - each bloom is a work of art!
Combine these two with the Narcissus 鈥楾halia.鈥� A stunning heirloom variety that was registered in the Netherlands in 1916. She is a darling showy, fragrant pure white daffodil that is only 14鈥� high - great for along pathways and in window boxes. You can add more of the black-and-white theme by under-planting with black or white violas.
A lovely surprise has been the primula vulgaris oakleaf yellow picotee (12-16鈥�) which has unusual oak-shaped leaves and cheery bright yellow flowers edged in red. This primula has sturdy stems and an incredibly long bloom period from early spring to summer. First discovered in the late 1990s by Dr. Richard Brampton in Nottingham, England, it鈥檚 easy to grow and prefers a cooler part of the garden with light to full shade. It is a fabulous source of nectar for bees and other pollinators.
Encouraging bees early to your garden will help pollinate your fruit trees and berries and by adding many spring-blooming plants they will find you. One of their favourite sources of nectar can be found in heather. They come in a variety of sizes, colours, bloom times and textures. You can simply tuck them in planters, window boxes, and several places throughout your garden. Kramer鈥檚 Red is a popular choice with its dark maroon red blooms.
We have all been enjoying the bees and hummingbirds darting about the greenhouses. They are as excited about all the new flowers as we are and they create a marvellous buzz of energy. The sunshine and warm spring weather awaken the world around us and we get to enjoy another year of spring magic. Happy gardening.
Ellen Presley is the owner of Anderton Nursery, at 2012 Anderton Rd., Comox. Visit andertonnursery.ca
