After cold winter air blows by and spring starts to bring warmth and color back to your garden, scratch your green thumb with beautiful flowers and verdant foliage. From vibrant perennials to tasty veggies, the fruits of your garden can enhance your everyday life. Create a stunning landscape or enjoy a tranquil sitting area in your garden with any of these top 10 plants to grow during spring.
1. Virginia Bluebells
Unlike other springtime blooms, Virginia Bluebells mingle conveniently between other perennials to bring a stunning blue hue to your lush foliage. Though Virginia Bluebells bloom and go quickly in a season, the soothing sway of each cluster of blue petals create a calming effect in your garden. Virginia Bluebells self-seed to spread easily throughout your garden.
Virginia Bluebells start as pink buds and gradually turn blue as they mature. Other color varieties include lavender, pink, and white.
Light: Part shade to full shade
Soil: Well-drained
Zone: 3-8
2. Hellebore
Line the walkway to your garden or highlight your sitting spot with the comforting look of a fully-bloomed hellebore patch. Slightly droopy in charm, this delicate yet resilient flower can tolerate light frost to withstand chilly spring weather. Known to grow a bit slower than other perennials, hellebore spreads evenly to add charm and grace to your garden.
Other genera of Hellebore include Lenten Rose and Christmas Rose. Seed-grown hellebore takes years to fully bloom and spread, but this exquisite flower is perfect for shade gardens.
Light: Part shade to full shade
Soil: Well-drained
Zone: 4-8
3. Pansy
Bring cheerful color to your window box or flowerbed with bright red or white shades of pansy petals. Born for cool springtime weather, this stunning perennial plant endures frost effortlessly for striking blooms in early spring. Pansies emit a subtle but lovely fragrance to enhance the ambiance of your garden.
Fresh pansies are edible. They look and taste great on springtime cakes. These delicate flowers bring a decorative touch to wreaths and floral arrangements.
Light: Part shade to full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Zones: 4-8
4. Honeydew Melon
Take your garden from eyecatching to edible with this sweet yet colorful addition to your growing space. Perfect for planting in late spring, honeydew melons grow nicely in warm soil. Melons start to grow indoors, and it is best to transplant your melon to the soil after the last winter frost.
Banana melons and cantaloupe also grow well during spring. These delicious melons provide sweet and refreshing summertime treats.
Light: Full sun
Soil: Moist/damp
Zones: 7-10
5. Primrose
Add a tall layer to your ground-level garden with the long upward stems and open petals on primroses. From canary yellow to vibrant pink, primroses boast brightly colored petals to inject a splash of color into your garden. There are many varieties to plant during early spring. For early growers, this perennial plant can even bloom with snow on the ground.
Petals on primroses can vary in size and shape, and these plants look better in clusters. Primrose’s color varieties include purple, red, and amber-orange.
Light: Part shade to full sun
Soil: Moist/slightly acidic
Zones: 3-9
6. Cucumber
Decorate your summer salad with the rich green color and crunchy texture of cucumbers. Although cucumbers should be planted a couple of weeks after the last frost, this delicious vegetable gives you the crisp and refreshing taste of cucumber all summer long. Cucumbers need ample sunlight, so it’s best to plant them in a sunny area.
Similar to other vegetables to grow in a garden, cucumbers grow better with fertilizer. When planted in rows at least six feet apart, cucumbers grow quickly for summertime eats.
Light: Full sun
Soil: Fertile
Zones: 3-10
7. Bloodroot
Lay down the base layer of your garden with small white petals from bloodroot flowers. Not only a ground cover, but bloodroot also brings a decorative touch to the shady area of your garden or woodland spaces. Look for blooms in March to open the door for spring.
Bloodroot comes in single and double-flowered varieties. Bloodroot can take years to spread, but the invasive flower won’t overwhelm your garden.
Light: Full sun/part shade
Soil: Moist/well-drained soil
Zones: 3-9
8. Onions
Complement your summer picnic with freshly cut onion from your garden. Planting onions in warmer soil in April offers higher chances for slices in summer. Onion sets from previous seasons planted in compost-rich soil deliver the best results in spring. Onions should start indoors at least two months before the last frost.
Onions have short roots that need consistent moisture and constant water. Soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 helps the vegetable mature faster.
Light: Full sun
Soil: Compost-rich
Zone: 3-10
9. Rhododendrons
Magnify the beauty of your garden with the elegance of rhododendrons. Soft pastel pink, light peach, or deep purple shades of rhododendron petals add grace to your garden aesthetic. Glossy leaves bloom in early March, which makes this evergreen and deciduous plant a go-to for springtime charm.
Rhododendrons are ideal for woodland gardens and foundation areas. These flowers can bloom as late as fall in the garden, and do not require pruning every year. Learn more about gardening tips for fall.
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Zone: 4-8
10. Herbs
Though herbs grow nicely indoors all year long, you can plant herbs such as basil or cilantro in warm soil early to mid-spring. Elevate your steak on the grill with freshly picked thyme or rosemary. There are many varieties of herbs, but all herbs need full sun exposure and moist soil to mature.
Herbs tend to grow better in spaces facing south, which lends the herb to maximum sun exposure during the day. Herbs grown from seeds produce the best results when grown in a seed-starter soil mix.
Light: Full sun
Soil: Moist
Zone: 3-10
Whether you intend to plant this spring for food, foliage, or simple landscaping, the right plants transform the look and feel of your garden. Make your garden a place for relaxation using lovely perennial flowers or pick fresh vegetables for your family’s summertime dinner using plants or blooms from springtime gardening.