Dreaming of the First Spring Flowers

Each February I watch my first tulips of the season start to poke through the soil. I tell them “don’t come up yet, we are going to get more cold weather” but they never listen. There is an orange variety that comes up every year, these small little plants are the hardiest of all my tulips. The transition from winter to spring is slow in Montana. My childhood memories of lush green grasses, blossoming trees and a kaleidoscope of flowers in March and April are dear to my heart. Wild daffodils growing around homesteads in March left such a strong impression as a child they grow in my garden to this day. We have long cold winters so that first pop of color is a treat. In early spring I look forward to watching which colors are going to come up first. Dark colors, bold colors, pastels, and whites show up each spring in my little garden. 

Understanding the climate and soils in Montana is important to the success of my flower garden. The soils in my garden are a mixture from heavy clays at the back transitioning to a clay loam at the front. I enjoy keeping my soil ecosystem healthy. My goal is to keep color going from early spring into late fall. 

Feel free to leave a comment if you have a special flower or enjoy gardening. I hope your day is going well.