daffodils and hyacinth field of flowers

What to plant for a pretty spring yard

Planting spring flowering plants in the fall creates an even prettier spring yard! Flowering spring bulbs can even show their blooms when snow is melting on the ground. Here is a list of plants that give us a show early-to-late spring. From spring through fall, anytime you add plants, you’ll be happy you did because they will be enjoyed for years to come.

Spring Blooming Bulbs

These bulbs are available in late summer for you to plant in the fall when temperatures start dropping. Bulbs are one of the more popular plants because of how easy they are to plant. Fall planted bulbs need the cold dormancy period of winter before they bloom in the spring. Plant your bulbs around your late sprouting perennials to fill in the area before the foliage grows in to create a succession of blooms. If you have deer around, look for deer resistant logos on the bulb boxes.

GALLERY OF FALL PLANTED BULBS FOR EARLY SPRING BLOOMS

  • purple large allium blooms
    Allium – Purple small or large round blooms
  • yellow crocus
    Crocus – Bloom colors include purple, yellow, or white
  • Grape Hyacinth in bloom
    Grape Hyacinth – Purple Blooms
  • Yellow daffodils bloomin in early spring
    Yellow Daffodils in early spring before perennial plants emerge.
  • red tulips
    Tulips – Many color varieties of solid or multi-colored!
  • White Daffodils with Grape Hyacinth
  • Yellow Daffodils with pink and purple Hyacinth
  • Snowdrop flower in the snow
    Snowdrop – Blooms are bright white

Perennials

Perennials are herbaceous, which means their foliage dies down each fall and will regrow in the spring. These highlighted perennial varieties come up earlier in the spring and create an early show of color!

GALLERY OF PERENNIALS FOR SPRING BLOOMS:

  • Bleeding Hearts – Variety bloom colors include pink, pink and white, white, or red.
  • blue flower looks like explosion of a veronica blue bomb plant
    Veronica – Variety bloom colors include blue, purple, white, or pink. Shown: Blue Bomb
  • white, yellow, and purple hellebores flowers
    Hellebores are the harbingers of spring. Hellebores – Variety bloom colors include white, pink, purple, or yellow.Shown: Honeymoon Series Mix. Credit: Walters Gardens
  • blue and pink flowers of columbine plant
    Columbine – Variety bloom colors include pink, red, blue, or purple.
  • pink heartshaped flowers on a bleeding heart perennial
    Bleeding Hearts – Variety bloom colors include pink, pink and white, white, or red.
  • pink flowers of pigsqueak bergenia winter glow
    Pigsqueak a.k.a Bergenia – Variety bloom colors vary from white to dark pink. Shown: Winter Glow
  • white flowers of jacobs ladder plant
    Jacob’s Ladder- Bloom color is white with yellow center.
  • Tiny white flowers of woodruff plant
    Sweet Woodruff- Small white blooms. Great ground cover.
  • little purple blue flowers of bugleweed ground cover
    Bugleweed – Small bluish purple flowers. Great ground cover.
  • little pink flowers osn armeria
    Armeria – Variety blooms colors include pink, white, or red. Shown: Splendens
  • blue flowers of woodland forget me not
    Woodland Forget-Me-Not – True blue bloom color. Great as a spreading underplanting.
  • lots of pink flowers on a forget me not
    Rosylva Forget-Me-Not
  • white flowers that look like pants on a dicentra cucullaria
    Dutchmans Breeches – Bloom color is white to pink.
  • golden grounsel or squaw weed yellow blooms in the spring
    Golden Grounsel a.k.a Squaw Weed – Blooms bright yellow flowers higher above foliage.
  • euphorbia cushion spurge yellow growth and blooms
    Cushion Spurge – Variety colors include red, orange, white, pink or, yellow. Great fall foliage color as well. Great ground cover.

Shrubs

Shrubs drop their foliage each fall unless they are evergreen shrubs. Their woody structures stand over winter, creating winter interest in your yard. Shrubs can create a focal point among perennials and are used to easily create a larger grouping of blooms in the spring. We’ve all seen lilacs blooming in the spring but we’d like to show many other options to consider for an array of blooms in the spring.

SHRUBS FOR SPRING COLOR:

  • forsythia northern gold yellow spring blooms
    Forsythia – Blooms bright yellow blooms before foliage. Shown: Northern Gold
  • Chokeberry – Blooms delicate white blooms and also has bright orangish red fall leaves. Shown: Mound
  • pjm spring blooming purple rhododendron
    Rhododendron – Bloom colors vary from purple, lavender, peach, or red. Shown: PJM
  • pussy willow catkins in spring
    Pussy Willow – Silvery fluffy catkins grow before foliage fills in for lovely texture and contrast in spring. Shown: Salix discolor
  • white flowers on standing ovation serviceberry
    Serviceberry – Blooms white flowers every spring, and produces edible fruit. Brilliant orange and red in the fall. Shown: Standing Ovation
  • red electric lights azalea
    Azalea – Variety bloom colors include red, orange, yellow, and pink. Shown: First Editions® Electric Lights™ Red Azalea
  • Bulbous white blooms on a snowball viburnum
    Viburnum – Blooms white flower cluster. Vibrant fall colors as well and some varieties are great for multi-season hedge. Shown: Snow Viburnum
  • orange foliage of a barberry shrub
    Barberry – The foliage of these shrubs are lovely! Orange, red, lime green, yellow, and purple leaf colors.
  • Purple flowers on a bloomerang lilac shrub
    Lilacs – Blooms are light to dark purple, tall or compact growing, as well as rebloomers. Shown: Proven Winners Bloomerang Lilac

Trees

Trees will always catch our eye because of their size and the easiest to notice around town in spring arrives. The bright pinks, reds, and whites lining the streets show us that warmer days are ahead and everything is waking from dormancy.

TREES FOR SPRING BLOOMS:

  • blooming mn strain redbud
    Redbud – Blooms fuschia colored flowers in the spring and brilliant yellow foliage in the fall. Shown: MN Strain Redbud
  • bubble gum pink blooms on show time crabapple
    Crabapple – Variety bloom colors include white, pink, and reddish purple. There are varieties that are fruitless as well. Shown: Show Time Crabapple
  • light pink large bloom of a first editions centennial blush magnolia tree
    Magnolia- Variety Blooms are in this light pink or white. First Editions Centennial Blush and Royal Star are the Zone4 hardy magnolia trees. Shown: First Editions Centennial Blush

Please note that many of the trees and shrubs shown are sold quickly in the spring due to their colorful show and may not be available later in the season. We recommend starting a wish list so you know what to grab, even when it’s not blooming. Visiting Drummers Garden Center and Floral in the spring through fall will give you the best ideas for how your plants will transition and create a perfect yard all season long.