We’re back for another day visiting Terry Smyth’s spring garden on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, where her abundant spring blooms bring her great joy.
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida, Zones 5–9) is an iconic spring flower native to the understory of the forests of eastern North America. The typical species has white bracts surrounding the cluster of tiny, true flowers in the center of the bloom. Of course, there are wonderful selections with pink bracts as well.
Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus) is becoming more and more popular as an annual for early spring color. If you live in Zone 7 or warmer, you can plant the bulblike roots in the fall for masses of easy, roselike flowers the following spring. In colder zones, look for potted plants at the nurseries early in the spring to plant out and enjoy. Once the heat of summer arrives, they’ll fade away and go dormant, so enjoy these plants in their spring peak!
Another small, spring-flowering tree native to eastern North America is the redbud (Cercis canadensis, Zones 4–8). New hybrids have focused on forms with beautifully colored leaves, but the brilliant flower blooming on bare, leafless stems is the classic feature of this species.
A view through Terry’s garden, showing the lush plantings and explosions of color that greet the spring season here.
A striking dark-leaved trillium (perhaps Trillium cuneatum or a related species, Zones 5–8). There are many trillium species native to North America, some boasting beautiful flowers and others, like this one, with even more-striking colored and patterned leaves.
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Comments
You really do take beautiful pictures, Terry. I have many dogwoods and redbuds and yet, I found myself appreciating them in a new way thanks to seeing them through the eyes of your lens. It's hard to believe that that luscious looking white ranunculus is not a rose...it's gorgeous. Do the plants come back year after year and get better and better?
Terry, I second Michaele in my appreciation of your camera artistry. Redbuds in this part of the state have been stunning this year - more floriferous than anybody can remember, and all the spring blooming trees seem to be in flower at the same time - from redbuds to lilacs, with all the dogwood, flowering plum and magnolias. What an incredible spring! And your garden is fabulous - thanks for sharing.
That ranunculus and dogwood are amazing. I really like ranunculus but I am much, much farther south than you are & I am lucky to have them 2 years.
The redbuds, dogwoods, cherries and other flowering trees were extra gorgeous in my part of NC this Spring. They are just about all gone now, but not forgotten! Thank you for these lovely photos.
Your dark trillium really caught my eye. I enjoy the foliage as much as some love flowers. The Burgundy stems and dark patterns of the leaves are beautiful, I can imagine them planted as a group.
Beautiful!
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