Spring flowers
Spring is naturally associated to the season of flowers, the awakening of nature and vivid colours. Of very diverse origins, spring flowers are easy to plant and maintain with the season’s mild climate: an ideal blend of warmth, wind, humidity and sunshine. Here is some practical advice.
Spring flowers are very numerous. Some are planted in spring and grow very rapidly in the same season, as is the case for lily of the valley. Some flowers bloom with the arrival of spring but were planted much earlier, in winter or even in autumn. Others thrive in the summer when they are planted in early spring, around March or April. Whatever type of spring flower you choose, you should ask questions such as: what are the dates and types of land suitable to each species and how should they be taken care of to sparkle during their bloom?
Spring flowerings
What are the flowers to plant and enjoy during this season? It is most natural to present the lily of the valley first. The small white flower that floods the streets on May 1st flowers in April and May. To optimize its planting, choose a slightly shaded area like undergrowth and a moist regular soil. Then, there is the grape hyacinth which blooms very easily with its little blue bells. Indeed, its withered petals that have fallen to the ground are sufficient to revive the flower. Note however that the grape hyacinth prefers well-drained soils of normal humidity levels. Forget-me-nots resemble small pink, white or blue clusters and bloom from April to June. These flowers enjoy the sun and moist soil. Daffodils, which bloom between March and May have a particular trademark scent. A little fertilizer is needed at planting time, and they also need to be maintained by removing their wilted flowers. These flowers are to be planted on both sunny and shaded areas. Bulbous irises from southern Europe (Portugal, Spain and the French Mediterranean coast) bloom until July. These white, purple, blue or yellow flowers require plenty of sunshine.
What plant should be grown in March or April?
At the arrival of spring, flowers start showing their face. Know that the month of March is a good one for in-ground sowing of spring flowers. You will then have the choice between poppies, columbine, papaver, sage, Gypsophila, and bare-root rose bushes. Flowers like poppy are fragile, which is why they grow better when sowed than in containers. Other flowers can be sown at this time such as Sweet Alyssum or Arabis caucasica, nasturtium, Virginia stock, bellflower, hoary stock and Thlaspi. In April, it is preferable to carry out in-ground planting with a large variety of flowers: gladioli, dahlias, tree mallows, fuchsias and lilies. You can find out more about all of these flowers in summer.
Sow seeds in the spring and harvest in summer.
Here are some techniques for sowing seeds. The techniques differ depending on the type of seeds. For large seeds, such as sweet peas or nasturtiums, they must be soaked the day before seeding. They should be dried on the day of planting, and be planted in groups of 3 or 4. Add approximately an inch-thick (2 cm) layer of soil over the seeds. In regard to medium-sized seeds, such as pot marigold or wallflower, they must be mixed by hand before being sowed randomly. One fifth of an inch (half a centimeter) of earth is sufficient to cover the seeds. Finally, for small seeds such as Dame’s Rocket or Poppy, use the same procedure as that for medium-sized seeds and cover them with soil after sowing. They just need to be buried into the ground.
Spring flowers that are planted in autumn
Spring bulbs such as tulips, jonquils, hyacinths should be planted before winter, around September when the soil has not yet been weakened by winter frosts. The bulbs may well take root in the soil until they bloom in early spring. To plant them, dig 8-inch deep (20 cm) holes, and place the bulbs in a slightly slanted position to prevent water from stagnating in the bulb’s planting holes and causing the flowers to rot. Choose a plot of land located on the south side and add tomato fertilizer to your plants. Besides lilies of the valley, tulips and jonquils, there are numerous flower varieties, like Camas, Fritillaria, crocuses and snowdrops. For the latter two, a 2-inch (5 cm) hole is sufficient for planting the seeds.
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Published in Flower guide by Alexander on 06 Jul 2011
