As soon as the winter snows melt, most homeowners want to plant flowers, and spring flowers create delightful oasis of color in the yard, garden or patio. Here's a list of spring flowers that can withstand the sudden shifts of temperature common in gardening zones 7 through 4 in the United States.
Pansies for Spring Gardens
With their cheerful faces and sweet scent, pansies (Viola) are a great addition to the spring garden and top our list of spring garden flowers. Pansies can be started from seeds, and many heirloom seeds produce colorful pansies reminiscent of Grandma's garden. Pansies are exceptionally cold hardy and can be planted in early spring. They can even withstand brief spring frosts and freezing spells even while blooming, something few other flowers can do.
Pansies come in a wide range of colors from white to deep purple. They are considered annual flowers, meaning that in most gardens they will grow, bloom, and die over the winter. In gardening zones 7 and higher they can sometimes winter over, especially if planted in a warmer spot in the garden such as near the base of a foundation, a garage wall, or in the shelter of a shrub.
Snapdragons Provide Border Color or Garden Focal Points
Snapdragons (Antirrhinum Majus) range from small, six inch tall dwarf varieties to newer varieties that grow upwards of five feet tall and must be staked. They can withstand cool temperatures and light frosts, and can be planted as early as a week or two before the frost-free date. Start seeds indoors about ten weeks prior to planting.
Snapdragons come in a wide range of colors, from solid, bright yellows, orange and reds to striped and swirled bicolors. Snapdragons benefit from pinching the top of the plant off when the plants grow to be about five inches tall. Pinching new growth encourages side shoots and fuller, abundant plants with more flowers. Enjoy snapdragons any place in the flower garden. Like pansies, snapdragons are considered annual flowers. They'll winter over in zones 8 to 10, but most likely a deep freeze, common to zones 7 and below, will kill them.
Perennial Dianthus Return Year After Year
Rounding out this list of spring flowers is dianthus, also called pinks. This perennial flower comes back year after year and prefers cool growing conditions. It thrives in cool temperatures and will begin blooming as soon as daytime temperatures remain in the sixties. Choose from among the white, pink, red and striped varieties. Some have showing green and gray-green foliage. Most are grown as border flowers, but with over 300 varieties of dianthus to choose from, there are so many sizes you are sure to find one that fits your garden style. Among the many spring flowers to choose for the garden, dianthus have the strongest scent. Like stocks (another spring flower), dianthus flowers smell faintly of cloves.
This list of spring flowers only begins to describe the many choices available for gardeners across the country who want to plant spring flowers that resist sudden cold snaps. There are many more beautiful annuals and perennials that can be planted in early spring, or bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and crocus may be planted in the fall for spring flowers. Whether you choose seed starting or plants purchased from a nursery, you can enjoy many flowers like pansies, snapdragons and dianthus in your spring garden.
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