Early Spring Flowers
by: Jeff Epping

When gardeners think of spring, I'm sure many different images pop into their heads -- maybe pristine white snowdrops bursting through the melting snow, drifts of golden daffodils, billowing white clouds of crabapples or maybe the crisp sunny days filled with earthy fragrance and the sounds of songbirds in the garden. Whatever the image, it mentally marks the start of the spring season for each of us.

Some of the images that hit home for me are those that I have seen each spring here at Olbrich Botanical Gardens and Longenecker Gardens at the U.W.-Madison Arboretum. The most memorable have come from the early spring blooming shrubs, probably because I'm starved for color and signs of life in the garden after a long winter. The curious blossoms of vernal witchhazel blooming earlier than youčd ever think possible, corneliancherry dogwood clothed in yellow amidst colorful bulbs and greening grass and of course, the graceful arching branches of forsythia smothered in bright golden flowers.

I believe every gardener should have at least one of these earliest of spring bloomers to get them pumped up for the weeks ahead. The following are a few of our favorites here at Olbrich.

Vernal witchhazel (Hamamelis vernalis) is a true denizen of spring, often blooming as early as mid-March at Olbrich (now in full bloom in the Herb Garden). This subtle beauty seldom stops a passerby in his or her tracks, but it is quite a sight to see covered with flowers while everything else is still dormant under a blanket of snow.

The small four-petaled fragrant flowers are yellow to red in color and complement the silvery bark quite nicely. The cultivar 'Sandra' was selected for its bright yellow flowers and can be seen here at Olbrich near the entrance to the new Perennial Garden (should be blooming by the end of the month). We planted it against a dark green backdrop of eastern arborvitae foliage which helps show-off the flowers. The plant can actually be in bloom for 3-4 weeks or more, since the flowers curl up on the coldest of days to protect themselves from freezing temperatures and desiccating winds -- they unfurl again when more favorable weather returns.

Vernal witchhazel can grow up to 15' tall under perfect growing conditions, but in our climate seldom grows larger than 6-8' tall and wide. It is best grown in full sun or part shade and is tolerant of poor soils as long as they aren't extremely dry. It is best planted where it can be seen up close so that the flowers can be appreciated.

Another early bloomer familiar to most every gardener for its awesome flower show is forsythia. Unfortunately, not every one knows that the majority of forsythia cultivars are not fully hardy in south central Wisconsin. The unusually warm winter we've had this year will not be a problem for most, but when our real winter of -30ș F returns the non-hardy selections will be quite evident. They typically flower only at the base of the shrub where the buds are protected from the cold by insulating snows -- not good, since this shrub's true ornamental merit is its flowers, with little to offer the rest of the season.

Two excellent forsythia cultivars for us that are readily available from local garden centers and nurseries are 'Sunrise' (Forsythia x 'Sunrise') and 'Meadowlark' (Forsythia x 'Meadowlark'). They are both reliably hardy and vary mainly in size -- 'Sunrise' is best for smaller landscapes growing 5' tall and wide and 'Meadowlark' reaches about 10' tall with a similar spread. Both need full to half day sun to bloom their best and are tolerant of a wide range of soils. New plantings of both cultivars can be seen here at the Olbrich in the Sunken Garden.

Another early spring beauty that blooms right along with forsythia in mid-April is corneliancherry dogwood (Cornus mas). The flowers are small individually, but are produced in profusion and put on a spectacular show in the landscape for at least 3 weeks. It is perfectly hardy in the Madison area, but the flower buds may suffer cold damage during severe winters in colder areas of the state.  "Corneliancherry" comes from the edible cherry-like fruits that are useful for making jam if youčre into that sort of thing.

Corneliancherry dogwood is considered a large shrub or small tree growing up to 15-20' tall and wide. Its habit is oval in shape and naturally shrubby with minimal pruning, but if carefully trained and limbed-up, it makes a wonderful single or multi-stemmed small tree. The tree form is especially nice for showing off the attractive flaky gray and brown bark. This dogwood is not fussy about soil and grows in full sun or shade. In sun, the form will be a tight oval and in shade, more open and picturesque in habit and a bit less floriferous.

One popular cultivar of corneliancherry dogwood is 'Golden Glory' (Cornus mas 'Golden Glory') which is an upright growing selection that is good for using as a hedge plant. In fact, about 75 plants enclose the new Sunken Garden at Olbrich -- hopefully it will lure you in for a closer look when you drive by this spring!