What’s in bloom

Late spring is a time of transition in the garden. The showy spectacle of springtime bloom is over and the summer annuals have not yet filled in to provide the backdrop of color for the warm months. It’s during this period that larkspur (Consolida ajacis) provides a rich palette of color to fill the void.

May 2023Chionanthus virginicusFringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), also commonly called Grancy Greybeard and Old Man’s Beard, is one of the most beautiful and under-used, small flowering trees. This Ozark region native is breathtaking in full bloom in May when clouds...

Crabapples (Malus species) are popular small trees closely related to apples but with smaller edible fruit. They also differ in leaf color, growth habit, flowering time, and flowering color. Crabapple trees are fairly drought-tolerant. They are a low-maintenance and versatile tree and often have more than one season of interest.

With the arrival of spring, come the first tentative blossoms. For trees, amongst the earliest, you will find Cornelian cherry. Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) is not a cherry at all but a kind of dogwood. Though we seldom see it in Arkansas gardens, it grows well here and makes a good early garden show for us.

The Ozark witch hazel, Hamanelis vernalis, got its name because its limbs were used by water witches in divining water wells. Dowsers, water witches, or water wigglers used forked branches cut from the Ozark witch hazel to locate underground water vessels. The Ozark or vernal witch hazel is a native, deciduous large shrub or small tree found along water courses throughout the Ozarks and Ouachitas.

At BGO winter can be many “shades of brown”, but you will find winter interest in all corners of the garden. Though spring is still weeks away, a few perennials push the season and are starting to bloom. Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) is one of these early bloomers and would be one to add to your winter garden for a winter bloom of interest. Because many of the plants sold as Lenten rose are hybrids or seedlings, the bloom time can range from late December to early April.