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April is quite often one of the easiest months to find a bounty of garden blooms.

Arisaema species - A New Addition to The Garden Mentor Garden; the Grower Claims it originated from Heronswood

One of the most consistent requests I get when working with new clients is to help them create gardens with year-round interest. They complain that they enjoy a  beautiful spring bloom followed by nothing during the rest of the season.

Although I strive to create year-round interest in the garden, I must admit, I’m in love with spring blossoms. It is the time of awakening. The textures are delicate, if tough. The colors are brilliant and often shimmering with translucence. Rain falls and glistens on foliage and flowers. Winds and hail, well, sometimes they beat the crap out of the new growth, making blossoms that much more ephemeral. Still, spring reminds me to look closely, breathe deeply and welcome the sunny, warm months ahead. I love it!

If your garden isn’t blooming right now, or even if it is, perhaps you’ll find some inspiration in the multitude of flowering hardy shrubs, perennials and ground covers that follow.

And don’t forget the ferns! Ferns may not bloom, but they are absolutely stunning this time of year as their fiddleheads unfurl. Plus, they add unique texture and form to the garden that isn’t always achieved with other plants. And, many are evergreen, adding color and interest to the garden even in the dead of winter.

Although a few annuals and several other hardy plants in my garden and in the surrounding landscape are blooming, I selected a few of my favorites, which follow. Enjoy!

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