Spring Flowers

Depending on where you live it's probably been a somewhat colorless winter and you ca't wait for those spring flowers and blossoms to arrive. And if your garden and yard are not offering much in the way of early color this year, you can always plant some of the following this year for a beautiful spring next year.

• Witch Hazel: These shrubs are a wonderful yellow in the early spring garden. Some cultivars bloom red.
• Crocus: The earliest varieties, such as Crocus chrysanthus, Crocus sieberi, and Crocus tommasinianus, bloom through the snow. These are the small crocus, usually flowering in shades of purple or yellow.
• Hellebore: These are often known by common names such as Christmas Rose and Lenten Rose in areas with mild winters.
• Camellia: These beautiful shrubs have lovely blossoms in winter in mild climates or early spring in slightly harsher areas.
• California Buttercup: The California buttercup, scientifically known as Ranunculus californicus, is a common flower in Northern California that is one of the first spring flowers to bloom.
• Daffodil: The earliest Narcissi appear now, especially small cultivars like Tete-a-Tete.
• Iris Reticulata: The large iris are a summer pleasure, but this small beauty is an early spring treasure.
• Forsythia: This is a shrub that screams "Springtime!"
• Scilla: These small bulbs produce wonderful blue and purple blossoms.