Spring is the busiest time of year for gardeners. There's pruning, weeding and planning to be done for the upcoming planting season. But spring is also the prettiest time of year, and even hardworking gardeners should take the time to enjoy the blooms.
"People don't realize the emotions and sense that can be evoked by a garden," said Amanda Campbell, manager of display gardens for the Atlanta Botanical Garden. "When they come here, it is hard not to smile when you see masses of daffodils and tulips."
Springtime has sprung big time at the garden, with the 200,000 tulips and other bulbs planted in fall making an early arrival. The garden has doubled the number of spring blooming bulbs since last year, including 70,000 tulips.
"Spring has always been beautiful here, and the new renovations gave us the opportunity to plant more bulbs," Campbell said. "We really wanted to highlight spring."
In addition, for the first time in more than a decade, the garden has added giant topiaries to the mix -- including owls, trees and flowers -- to further emphasize the season.
The new flower displays include daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and, of course, tulips. In addition to the hybrid tulips that everyone recognizes, there are several displays with less recognizable species of tulips.
"When people think of bulbs, they think of the large tulips," Campbell said. "We are introducing people to bulbs they may not be familiar with."
And while tulips and other bulbs may be considered the "divas" and the "prima donnas" of the spring blooms, Campbell says they also do a great job playing a supporting role. "They really help highlight other trees and shrubs that bloom in February or March," she said.
At the Biltmore Estate and Gardens in Asheville, N.C., where thousands of tulips bloom in the original Victorian Era pattern beds of the Walled Garden, Parker Andes, director of horticulture, emphasizes the importance of slowing down and taking it all in -- and not just the tulips.
"The gardens are very much to be enjoyed at a walking pace," he said. "People are like ‘We have to see the tulips,' and they will walk right by a gorgeous shrub of beauty berries."
Planning a garden on such a large scale can take years. This year, the display at the Botanical Garden is just the beginning of a master plan that will take several years, Campbell said. But even a novice gardener coming late to the season can bring a touch of spring to his or her space. "There are rules of design," Campbell said, "but really, the point of a garden is your enjoyment."
Here are a few tips for getting your garden on the fast track to spring:
- Grab potted daffodils from a nursery. "That's a great beginner bulb," Campbell said. Other options are crocuses and hyacinths.
- Add ivy to any large container with bulbs so that it is more than just a pot with a bulb blooming out of it, Andes said. A nice combination is also day lilies with daffodils. "Any of the summer perennials will work, and it helps fill in the bare spots," he said.
- When potted daffodils or hyacinths finish blooming, take the bulb outside where you want it and bury it about six inches in the ground (or twice as deep as the bulb is high). Then forget about it until next year, Andes said.
Event previews
Atlanta Blooms: 200,000 Watts of Flower Power
9 a.m.-7 p.m. (in April), Tuesdays-Sundays through May 1, $12.95-$18.95 per person (free for children under 3).
Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E.
404-876-5859. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
Festival of Flowers
9 a.m.-dusk, daily through May 15. $27-$64 per person (free for children under 9).
Biltmore House and Gardens, 1 Lodge St., Asheville, N.C.
800-411-3812. www.biltmore.com.
