Continuous Seasons of Bloom
Robin Schachat
There is more than one reason to want your garden to bloom from early spring (or sooner!) until the end of fall (or later!).
First of all, it’s pretty for the gardener and her human visitors. Our spirits are always raised when we see color and life in the garden. Even the most sedate of Japanese gardens (except for the very extreme Zen options) feature at least one significant spot of blossom at all times. Bloom is joyful. Think how our moods rise when we see witch hazels bursting out early in February, Helleborus niger in full blow at Christmastime, and the last bouffant embers of rusty chrysanthemums when the snow begins to fall.
But a continuity of bloom is even more important for our pollinators and bird visitors. Our native bees begin to emerge with the very first whisper of spring, and the last of the migratory monarchs can now linger well into November. For these and their other native friends, blossom is a must, because it holds their food.
We’ve addressed here before why native plants are so very much more important to our native pollinators than non-native plants are, and rest assured we will address it again in the future until everyone knows! But our Jane Ellison, while stuck on her back recuperating from a shattered knee, happened across this very helpful chart showing native garden perennials according to the span of their bloom times, so those of us who don’t want to do the research can simply choose from the list to ensure a continuity of colorful bloom in our gardens. It’s only a small list, but it’s all any of us needs to get a good start on enjoying year’s length of flowers, along with the pollinators who dine from them and the birds who dine on pollinators!