Top Flowers to Plant in Your Garden This Spring

Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning what flowers you want to plant in your garden this season. Choosing the right flowers can bring beautiful pops of colour and fragrance to your outdoor space. Here are some of the top flowers to consider planting in your garden this spring.  

Annuals That Thrive in Spring

Many annual flowers are ideal for spring planting, as they grow quickly once temperatures warm up and bloom profusely for months. Some annuals to consider include:

• Pansies – With their cheery faces, pansies are a classic spring flower. They come in a wide variety of colours and will bloom from early spring into summer. Pansies grow well in partial shade.
• Snapdragons – These towering flowers bloom in a range of colours, from white to pink, red, yellow, and more. Snapdragons grow quickly from seed sown directly in the garden after the last frost.
• Poppies – Poppies add gorgeous splashes of colour to any garden. Many varieties will self-seed and come back year after year. Grow poppies in full sun for the best blooms.
• Petunias – From vibrant solid colours to patterned and ruffled varieties, petunias are perfect for flower beds, containers, and hanging baskets. They bloom throughout spring and summer.
• Alyssum – Alyssum is a low-growing annual that produces delicate clusters of fragrant white, pink, or purple flowers. It grows well in borders and containers.
• Marigolds – Cheerful marigolds come in a rainbow of colours including yellows, oranges, reds and bicolours. They bloom non-stop until frost.

Hardy Perennials for Spring Interest

Perennial plants provide colour in the garden year after year. Some perennials to consider for spring include:

• Tulips – For several weeks in spring, tulips boast cup-shaped flowers in endless colour combinations. Plant bulbs in the autumn for spring blooms. Combine early, mid, and late-blooming varieties for weeks of colour.
• Bleeding hearts – Known for their rows of heart-shaped pink or white flowers, bleeding hearts offer graceful spring blooms. Plant in partial shade or dappled sunlight.
• Irises – Bearded irises flower in late spring, with blooms ranging from deep purples and blues to soft pastel hues. Plant rhizomes in full sun with good drainage.
• Columbines – The delicate, bell-shaped blooms of columbines add texture to spring flower beds. They come in colours like red, yellow, pink, and white. Grow in partial shade.
• Peonies – Fragrant, lush peony blooms arrive in late spring. Plant the tubers in full sun with good air circulation to avoid disease.
• Lupines – Towering spires of pea-like flowers come in a mix of colours, including purples, blues, yellows, whites and bicolours. Lupines thrive in cool climates.

Shrubs and Trees for Spring Flowers

In addition to showy perennials and annuals, don’t overlook spring-blooming shrubs and trees. Options include:

• Lilacs – Highly fragrant and arriving in late spring, lilac blooms are a wonderful addition to any outdoor space. Opt for common or French hybrid lilacs.
• Azaleas and rhododendrons – Available in a diverse range of flower colours, these showy shrubs light up the garden in spring. Plant in dappled shade and acidic soil.
• Forsythia – Bright yellow forsythia flowers are a cheerful sign of spring. Prune after flowering to maintain shape and size.
• Magnolias – Magnolias bloom early in spring, with flowers ranging from white to pink, purple and more. Choose a type suited to your climate.
• Crab apple trees – Crab apple trees explode with abundant pink, red, or white flowers in spring, providing vital early-season pollen for bees. Choose disease-resistant varieties.

How to Prepare Your Garden for Spring Planting

Getting your garden ready now will pay off when it’s time to start planting flowers and other plants this spring. Here are some tips:

• Remove any remaining dead plants, leaves, or debris from flower beds and borders. This helps eliminate overwintering pests and diseases.
• Cut back any perennials that die back in winter but regrow in spring. This includes plants like catmint, coral bells, and ornamental grasses.
• Improve soil quality by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other organic material. Good drainage and nutrient-rich soil helps plants thrive.
• Test and amend the pH of your soil if needed. Most flowers and vegetables prefer a neutral pH around 6.5-7.0.
• Edge and define beds and borders with materials like bricks, stones, or wooden railway sleepers. A wooden sleeper gives your garden a neat, polished look.
• Repair or install new garden infrastructure like trellises, fences, and pathways where needed. This prep work will make spring planting easier.
• Consider adding spring blooming bulbs like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths for early colour. Plant bulbs in the autumn for spring flowers.
• Prune overgrown shrubs and trees and fertilise if needed. This encourages healthy growth and flowering.

With the right plan and preparations, your spring garden can come to life with gorgeous flowers and abundant colour. Any of the plants mentioned above would make fantastic additions to your beds, borders, containers or landscaped spaces. Just be sure to choose flowers suited to your garden’s sunlight and soil needs. With a bit of effort now, you’ll reap the rewards this spring!