From a Colorado Garden

I had a lovely surprise earlier this week.

I took a trip to the Denver Botanic Garden and found a plethora of plant life budding, blooming, and leafing out. Colorado horticulture early spring has an abundance of color and variety to share, I just needed to know where to look. It would appear, therefore, that much of the local public lives far beneath their horticultural privileges. In my frequent walks around local neighborhoods and parks I see the same twenty plants that are nice, but not terribly unique. I was beginning to think that the altitude, the winds, the dry soil, and low rain fall would not allow any great diversity of plant material to thrive. Not so!

Here are some favorite mid-April bloomers from the botanic garden, which are well-adapted to Colorado and could very easily be added to a residential landscape for some extra pizazz.

Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' Burkwood Daphne (shrub)

Pulsatilla vulgaris Pasque Flower (rock garden perennial)

Anemone blanda 'White Splendor' Greek Anemone (from a rhizome-like tuber)

Chinodoxa forbessi Glory-of-the-Snow (bulb)

Aubrieta intermedia Rockcress (rock garden perennial)

Viburnum carlesii Korean Spice Viburnum (shrub)

What is leafing out right now? Silver Maple, Hedge Maple, Honeylocust, Green Ash, Peony, Filbert, Ninebark

What is blooming right now? Lilac, Tulip, Crabapple, Pearlbush, Quince, Flowering Plum, Serviceberry, Redbud, Hellebore, Fritillaria, Bleeding Heart, Currant/Gooseberry