Where I live, it is still early for flowers. Thus far, hellebores, chionodoxa and snowdrops have held down the fort, with more to come including erythronium scilla and species tulips as well as bulbs like erythronium scilla species tulips and others such as eranthis and iris reticulata which seem to dislike me due to the trees shade from overhead leaves blocking direct sun light.
Yes, there may be sadder things out there than an isolated Katherine Hodgkin blooming amid leaf litter in a tiny patch, but for gardeners this scene can be especially heartbreaking.
On Easter Sunday, however, my wife and I found ourselves sitting in our back courtyard watching an impressive pollinator buffet unfold before us. All it took were five flats of violas and pansies I purchased the previous day sitting under an abundance of buzzing wings – eventually these will be dispersed throughout potted tulips as well as given individual showcases; bees will come soon enough!
Pansies are my absolute favorites and I use them in pots all season, first surrounding tulips and later mixed in (sometimes unsuccessfully) with high summer annuals. When they become leggy I must get rid of them – until next year.
Always purchase from a reliable greenhouse; I find it makes a significant difference.
Viola odorata are plants that seem to spring up naturally on their own in the ground; somebody in my neighborhood found these charming blooms and have since spread freely for decades. One purpose for not mowing my lawn would be saving these blooms, yet these non-native species don’t require one; any crack in the sidewalk seems sufficient space for their spread. I pull these up periodically when they stop flowering just so as not to let them take over my space too quickly – they do have a slight scent when blooming early but after this nothing at all!
Pollinators don’t seem to mind having members of the viola family to keep pollen at bay and I much prefer colorful pots of pansies than an unsightly lawn!
