Perennial Spring Fever

It’s a lot of fun to hit the garden center and pick out a rolling cart full of new color to spruce up our gardens in time for spring. But, what’s even more fun is planting something that will bring joy every single spring when it shows up without hardly any effort on my part. These five plants are the ones I am particularly excited to see every spring.

1. Hostas. Seeing hostas peeking through the pine straw in the spring is always so fun. Once they start, they grow so fast that I think you could stand there and watch it happen!

2. Abelias. This year I’m going to add a Confetti Dwarf to the garden, but my favorite variety is Canyon Creek. In the fall, the leaves turn a rich bronze color, and in the spring, the leaves are bright green, dotted with bright pink and white blooms that will continue showing all summer.

3. Lantana. You just can’t beat a perennial that brings color to the garden year after year. It’s a hardy, easy plant I can always count on.

4. Eucalyptus. Nothing can beat the fragrance that this plant puts out all year long. Because the cold has claimed a few over the years, I keep a spare in a pot so that I can bring it in when the temperature dips.

5. Edgeworthia. I call this my Dr. Seuss plant! Thanks to my master gardener sister-in-law who propagated these, I get a show all year long. During spring and summer there are big glossy green leaves, while in the fall they drop and little pods pop on the branches. Come winter, those pods open up and white cluster flowers cover the bare branches.

What favorites are on your lists? I’d love to add to mine. Email them to me at pstephens@atlantabestmedia.com.

Patti Stephens, Publisher