It can be hard to believe that in just a few weeks, the forest floor will awaken with the soft, dreamy blue of Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica).
These native perennials are one of the first signs that winter’s grip is loosening and the colors of spring are back and heading toward summer.
Though we’re still bundling up, spending most of our time indoors, now is the perfect time to start envisioning your spring landscape. Winter may seem endless, but before you know it, the ground will thaw, the days will stretch longer, and the first green shoots will emerge.
While winter can be a challenge for gardeners and designers, it offers a beautiful opportunity to plan, dream, and design spaces that will burst to life when warmer days arrive. If you’ve ever wandered through a healthy, established forest in early spring, you know the magic of native wildflowers like Mertensia bluebells, trilliums, tiarella, columbine and bloodroot. These plants don’t just bring beauty; they also play a crucial role in supporting pollinators, stabilize the soil, and create a balanced ecosystem.
While these native ephemeral perennials are signs of a healthy forest, they can also give a jumpstart to the designed native landscape. Bursting with foliage, flowers and seeds early in the season, they typically fade back as the warmer summer-blooming perennials fill in. The reds of Eastern Columbine, yellows of Senecio, light blues and purples of woodland and creeping Phlox are all beautiful additions to the spring landscape and combine well with Bluebells.
As we spend the last few weeks of winter indoors, sipping coffee and gazing out at snowy landscapes, take a moment to remember-and-imagine the transformation that is to come in the landscape. Picture the gentle nodding blooms of bluebells and the hum of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds returning to the garden.
Now is the time to sketch out ideas, research native plants, make tons of lists, and get a plan in place for the growing season ahead.
Snow is melting today, and spring will be here before we know it.
