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Flowers In Early May - Gardening Advice

As Good As Grass editor:
A perfect garden would consist of flowers in eternal bloom. Have the next best thing and brighten your natural or synthetic garden by planting real flowers that bloom early.

As a lifelong Horticultural professional, Vicki Smith has news about what is flowering during early May across the eastern U.S. and guidance for growing these beautiful plants in the home garden. By providing suggestions for successful landscape use, LGYP.com will aid consumer gardening satisfaction and enjoyment. Outdoor living and container gardening are areas of increasing consumer interest. The recommended colourful trees, ornamental shrubs and evergreens will bring excitement to the landscape garden, concrete patio, and decking or in raised planters.

Throughout the Southeastern United States two fragrant trees are making themselves known: the Fragrant Snowbell (Styrax obassia) is delicate with show-stopping flowering effect and Banana Shrub (Michelia) hybrids, particularly 'Jack Fogg', members of the Magnolia family, are continuing to add very sweet scent. In the most southern portions of the region, flowering shrubs, including new, fantastic shrub roses that are incredibly disease free, are coming into full bloom. Well worth including for its long bloom time is the Oakleaf Hydrangea (H. quercifolia) that will bloom through early summer.

The Mid-Atlantic region is really coming into bloom. Evergreen hybrid Azaleas are beginning to show colour after a chilly spring. Early Rhododendrons, generally larger growing and larger leaved, are adding their larger blooms with many mid and late blooming selections continuing throughout May.

While the most famous group of Cherries in the US at the Tidal Basin, around the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. is mostly finished, selecting late Flowering Cherry species and selections (Prunus) extends the beauty by several weeks.

Two of our best native trees, the flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) in white, pink and red have come into their best colour and Red Buds (Cercis Canadensis) with their brilliant magenta flowers lighting up woodland landscapes are at their peak. Both trees have had terrific cultivars selected for improved colouring.

Magnolias are still in colour and can be enjoyed for the darker colours on their buds and the lighter tones of the opened flowers. There are a multitude of Magnolias that are hardy to the Mid-Atlantic region. Simply planting several different species, cultivars or hybrids can easily allow the homeowner to enjoy the wide range of colours they offer longer. Much breeding work has been done, much by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that has resulted in interesting, powerfully coloured, smaller growing hybrids ideal for today's smaller landscapes.

Fragrant Viburnums are incredible this time of year, where just one shrub can perfume the entire garden.

The Northeast is finally enjoying the warmth that is encouraging Flowering Crabapples (Malus) and native Serviceberries trees (Amelanchier) to add their colour. Much breeding work has been done on both of these groups resulting in improved flower mass and greatly increased disease resistance.

Home gardeners are still enjoying Magnolia since there are so many species and hybrids that bloom over a month's time. Even in smaller residential yards, it is still easy to enjoy Magnolia blooms longer by planting several smaller growing selections to stagger the blooms.

Ornamental Cherry trees are continuing the annual blooming cycle depending on where the gardener lives in this diverse region with many hardiness zones. Cherries (Prunus) are from many different species, cultivars and hybrids with typical tree shapes as well as dramatic weeping cultivars that can stop traffic at their peak.

A diverse group of flowering shrubs can easily a smaller splash of colour. Suggestions for early May bloom include: flowering Quince (Chaenomeles), Brooms (Cytisus), Currants (Ribes), flowering Spirea (Spiraea of many types), Lilacs, especially Syringa x hyacinthiflora varieties and Viburnums of every size, texture and colour that work wonderfully in formal and naturalized settings.

Many of the trees, shrubs and evergreens mentioned are quite low-maintenance, many native plants, often needing only to be planted in the right spot originally and occasionally be given more mulch and a little fertilizer. With dramatic, easy to grow plants that add colour to the garden for weeks or months on end, it can be very satisfying to enjoy spring's new energy and reap the results of just a small amount of effort as the gardener views the garden throughout the gardening year. Once a home gardener gets the "gardening bug", the time and effort can easily be seen as fun. Focusing on garden accents, even if it is just one specimen plant that adds one ornamental characteristic at a time, will be a delight to your senses week after week.

For more information about the Hottest New Plants in the industry, check out www.HotNewPlants.com. And if you are an "As Good As Grass" customer, these plants would look fantastic alongside your new artificial grass lawn or any of our outdoor garden flooring products.