Early spring vignettes

Flower & Garden Magazine, March-April, 1997 by Molly Dean

Although, like most gardeners, I revel in the full-blown glory of late April and early May, I find myself most intrigued by earliest spring. As described by Clinton Scollard in "Song of March," these transitory days are a time of the first green leaf upon the bough, the tiny kindling flame of emerald fire..." One could argue that my enjoyment lies in the anticipation of the lushness of spring's later peak, but I know that it,s the beauty of fragile delicacy found in earliest springtime, such as the first brave shoots of plum blossom or the small, translucent cups of cheerful purple and gold snow crocuses.

I've just described two obvious vignettes of early spring, but each gardener experiences many more -- little scenes they've caught glimpses of in other people's gardens, in handsomely illustrated books, or even remembered from early childhood. Many of us living under the pressure of the late 20th century are limited in both time and space. Vignettes, by definition, are small and subtle, skilled designers bring these seasonal compositions to life in odd comers of the garden, and you can, too.

A GOLDEN HAZE

During the last days of winter, yellow makes its way into our consciousness in two familiar forms: daffodils, cheerful as miniature suns, and the blazing yellow fountains of forsythia sparking our towns and countrysides. Wordsworth, of course, immortalized the daffodil en masse in "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" with his host of golden daffodils," perhaps the quintessential early spring vignette. Bring together both elements -- daffodils along with the forsythia -- and the result might be described as a golden haze.

Most people love daffodils (Narcissus), and many gardeners seem quite content with a classic, traditional variety, such as tall, golden `King Alfred.' Any quick perusal of a garden catalog featuring bulbs, however, shows us an amazing number of different types. The choices range from charming miniatures, such as the sweetly scented and many-flowered `Baby Moon' (only 8 inches tall), to the somewhat taller, cluster-flowered daffodils, such as the dainty white, orchid-flowered `Thalia,' and to tall, stately varieties, such as icy white Mount Hood.' There are even fruit-scented daffodils: orchid-flowering `Mondragon' a visually striking combination of lemon perianth and vivid orange crown, boasts an unusual, pleasing scent, reminiscent of apples.

I enjoy the whimsical look of the "split-cup" type of daffodil, also called butterfly daffodil, which have divided coronas that are lacy and frilled. They grow at the feet of my own forsythia shrub and, indeed, resemble a flock of butterflies come to rest.

Those gardeners weary of the more commonplace varieties of forsythia might try the striking new dwarf forsythia from Europe called `Gold Tide.' Its horizontal growth makes Gold Tide' ideal for a problem slope or to overhang a wall. Surround it with miniature daffodils for a delectable golden statement that heralds the end of winter. There are certainly many charming traditional types of forsythia, however, including deep yellow `Beatrix Farrand' and paler yellow `Spring Glory.' Or for a complete change of pace but still in the golden yellow mode, naturalize your daffodils at the feet of the rare yellow-flowered magnolia `Elizabeth.' This lovely tree, both narrow and upright, creates a haze of clear, light yellow when in full bloom. It is generally hardy to Zone 5 and performs well in light to even heavy shade.

Both forsythias and daffodils thrive in either full sun or light shade. Forsythias tolerate most soils. Narcissus benefit from an application of bone meal at the base of the planting hole when the bulbs are set into the ground in fall.

A SECRETIVE BLUE GLADE

Keats referred to the color blue as "gentle cousin of the forest green, married to green in all the sweetest flowers -- forget-me-not, the blue-bell, and, that queen of secrecy, the violet."

The image conjured by this quote might inspire a gardener to create his own early spring glade shimmering with blue. All it takes for such a vignette is a small, wooded pocket, perhaps, at a shaded or neglected end of a garden. While we might not choose those specific flowers mentioned by Keats (true English bluebells can be difficult to obtain, and many of our yards produce more wild violets than we know what to do with), there are a great many early spring woodland bulbs in blue shades from which to choose. One of these is the pale lavender-blue and white-centered star flower (Ipheion uniflorum). Shaded patches of lawn in residential Atlanta are often taken over by this diminutive early spring flower, and its swaths of soft blue are a lovely sight. My own March@ blooming star flowers, the variety `Wisley Blue,' spangle a stepping stone path, deep under the shade of tulip poplars. This is basically a hardy bulb (Zones 5 to 10), but it should be given a little winter mulch in cooler regions.

Other delicate blue bulbs for early spring glades include the incredibly vivid Scilla siberica, the starry Chionodoxa luciliae, commonly known as glory-of-the-snow, and the ever-popular grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum or M. azureum). The beauty of all of these bulbs is that they will grow beneath trees and shrubs where little else will grow and enjoy a wide range of climatic conditions (Zones 3 to 8). They will also soon form large colonies. Two added bonuses are that they require no special care and are relatively inexpensive.