Magnolia 'Leonard Messel'
Wayne served as president of Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA), New England Nursery Association (NENA), and American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) which is based in Washington, DC.
Wayne is the horticultural consultant for GrowingWisdom.com with Dave Epstein.
Last week I took the opportunity to drive south and visit nurseries. Departing Hopkinton in drizzle, the drabness of the grey landscape was further dulled by the dismal day. But I noticed that each hour I drove south seemed to advance a full day further into springtime. By the time I reached southern New Jersey, the landscape was easily a week or more ahead of the season I had departed only 6 hours previous – the rosy haze of swamp maple (Acer rubrum) flowers softened many views, splashes of golden forsythia flowers brightened various locations and lawns were visibly greening up -- what a welcome preview of the season yet to appear at home.
Back home now, even as the first April buds are starting to swell, nature's earliest spring views still appear lifeless and dull. Although weeks will pass before much of the landscape comes to life, a number of carefully chosen plants can do wonders to lift our spirits by adding color and interest to the garden, even as most of the landscape is only awakening in these earliest "pre-spring' weeks. Bringing that much-needed early color into our gardens can be a challenge – our human nature is to wait until the days feel warmer to begin visiting garden centers. By then, even in late April, some of the earliest flowering "spirit-lifting" plants have already finished their bloom.
As the years go by I have made a concerted personal effort to advance the coming of spring and add color to the views I enjoy each day. Perhaps it is in my genes. Decades ago my grandmother planted an early-flowering bulb (Adonis amurensis) in the entry garden that I pass through every morning as I leave for work. It never fails to inspire me – again this year it has been in flower for over a month. Arriving at work, I am welcomed by the fragrant golden-yellow flowers of witch-hazel (Hamamelis) next to my office doorway– this remarkable shrub has opened its flowers every above-freezing day since mid February! Only now as the Adonis flowers are fading and the witch-hazel flowers begin to drop are the earliest daffodils and crocus poking through the mulch. And I've already enjoyed many weeks of the renewed vitality spring brings after another cold and snowy winter – what a bonus!
Some of the earliest flowering woody plants I can recommend for your home gardens:
• Witch-hazel (Hamamelis intermedia cultivars). Many named hybrids are available in shades of yellow, orange and red, ideal for late winter enjoyment;
• Forsythia, especially the cultivar Vermont Sun, which comes into bloom every April a full week earlier than most other forsythia. It even tolerates a bit of frost;
• Swamp maple (Acer rubrum cultivars). Selections of the native tree with multi-season interest, offering superb April flower appeal;
• Yellow flowering Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), grown as a shrub or small tree;
• Magnolia, several readily available cultivars with white or pink flowers;
• The Early Rhododendrons, including Korean rhododendron (Rhododendron mucronulatum) (lavender), Weston's Pink Diamond (double pink), April Snow (white), PJM (pink-purple), Red Quest (dark pink) and several others, all open their blooms in April in this region.
I consider myself indeed fortunate to have made a career in the nursery business; it has enabled me to develop an awareness of ways to increase the year-round enjoyment of my surroundings. Fortunately, bringing early color to any garden is easy to accomplish even for regular homeowners. Public gardens like Tower Hill Botanic Garden are great places to view many types of early-appeal plants, and they really stand out this time of year. Have fun trying some of these season-advancers in your own yard – your family will be rewarded year after year with a welcome early preview to spring, to help banish the dreariness of wintertime and renew your spirit.
