In honor of Memorial Day, we present the poppy, traditionally used as a symbol to honor those who served their country and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Shown here is the oriental poppy, Papaver orientale. It is easy to grow by sprinkling the seeds over bare ground in late fall in the location […]
Less well known than the summer-blooming garden phloxes, or the creeping pink phlox, this 12-inch tall perennial produces a stunning display of delicate purplish-blue flowers in mid to late spring. Native to the eastern U.S., it is perfectly hardy in northern Utah, where it is best grown in a shaded to partly shaded location in […]
The Lenten rose, Helleborus orientalis, is unrelated to the true roses. It is an attractive evergreen perennial that thrives in shade or part shade and has a long season of bloom, from March to May. The waxy flowers, which tend to turn their “faces” towards the ground, come in various shades ranging from white to […]
Unlike the familiar hybrid tulips, species or wild tulips can be found growing in the wild, primarily in Central Asia. They are typically smaller than the hybrids but can be very charming in their own way. When planted in a sunny or partly sunny location, in soil that is moist during the spring but well-drained […]
There is nothing “bland” about this charming spring flower, which appears in shades of white, pink, or blue around the time that the mid-season tulips are blooming. Only 6″ tall, it grows from bulb-like structures called corms and dies down to the ground in summer. It will thrive in part sun or in the filtered […]
In many climates, tulips are strictly a “one-and-done” flower; they will bloom the first spring but won’t come back again after that. In Utah, some (but not all) tulips have the potential to survive for many years, or “perennialize.” Golden Apeldoorn is one of them. If you give it moist but well-drained soil, sun or […]
Native to Argentina and Uruguay, Ipheion uniflorum is possibly the least well-known of all the springtime flowering bulbs, but it is easy to grow along the Wasatch front and can add a cheerful splash of color to your flower border or alpine garden. It is only a few inches tall and does not seem to […]