You’ll be surprised how much color your garden needs after a long winter. These flowers will provide it for you, and the bees love them too!
Every spring, I am starving for colorful flowers. And that’s how many hungry pollinators like bumblebees and honeybees feel too!
As temperatures warm up in the summertime they need nectar from our flower so their bodies can stay fueled with nutrients to keep on working hard all day long pollinating crops.
Fall is the best time of year for planting bulbs that will produce flowers in spring. This includes onions, tulips and more!
All the flowers in bloom from earliest spring to summer can be yours with just one simple choice. You’ll get cheerful color chasing away winter blues, while also serving up essential nectar and pollen for local pollinators!
The Best Bulbs That Bloom in Early Spring
1. Snowdrops
Snowdrops are one of the first flowers to appear in early spring, and they produce white petals with tear drop shaped edges.
Deer won’t usually visit these plants because they’re too delicate for them; however bees will happily come around to pollinate them!
As an added bonus if you have a cool area that is well drained then this plant could grow up into something beautiful like 10 inches tall or taller depending on how much sunlight it gets (it can tolerate full sun, partial shade and well-drained soil).
2. Winter Aconite
A winter aconite’s bright yellow flowers can chase away the last of your autumn chill.
They look like small buttercups and because this plant stays small, it is a good choice for planting around maple trees or oak bushes in need of encouragement during their first few years as well! It prefers full sunshine and well-drained soil.
3. Crocus
If you’re looking to liven up your spring garden, consider planting some purple crocuses. They provide early color and aren’t bothered by pests such as deer or rabbits so they can spread over time (a process called naturalizing).
You might have to plant a few more bulbs every year if that’s what suits your goal best; however don’t worry – all those tough stalks will keep coming back too!
4. Siberian Squill
The early bloomer is a favorite for bees, so make sure you plant some Siberian squill bulbs this fall to enhance your pollinator garden.
Like crocuses these will naturalize and spread over time which means that there are more light blue or white flowers as years go by!
5. Glory-of-the-Snow
This wildflower is perfect for adding beauty and color in your rock garden. With small star-shaped flowers that can be shades of blue or white, glory-of the snow will fit right in with other plants while helping attract pollinators!
It thrives when it has full sun but will also do well under part shade conditions if you have them.
6. Wood Anemone
Anemone flowers are usually a light or white in color, and they come in single varieties.
It’s native to the East Coast but can also be found on parts of the Midwest due its spreading rhizomes which make for dense mats with foliage coverings over all surfaces it grows upon. If you want Anemo plants under trees near your home then this might just work out well!
7. Reticulated Iris
The early spring flowers are mostly dull or pale colors, but these little iris plants will burst into bloom with rich purplish-blue flowers.
These small bulbs stay relatively compact so if you want them to have an impact in your landscape it’s best to plant them at large clumps and also be sure provide full sun for brighter foliage color.
Bulbs That Bloom in Mid-Spring
1. Grape Hyacinth
Though purplish-blue flowers are most recognizable on grape hyacinths, you can also find varieties of this plant that bloom in white and yellow.
Flowering mid-spring it’s not a true hyacinth (but does look like the other spring bulb). Grape Hyacinth doesn’t grow very tall so make sure to place your bulbs at front of flower beds or borders for best effect!
2. Hyacinth
True hyacinths come in a range of shades, including blue, purple, red orange yellow pink and white. Their clusters of bright flowers will attract pollinators while also looking beautiful planted next to daffodils or tulips.
Deer usually don’t bother them and squirrels won’t munch on your bulbs when they’re grown into pots for planting outside (although this depends).
3. Crown Imperial
Crown Imperials are a type of flower that looks just like the flowers on top an upside down tulip, but with spiky leaves. You can find them in shades such as red, orange and yellow to give your garden more color at mid-season!
Bulbs That Bloom in Late Spring
1. Spanish Bluebells
Spanish bluebells are a late spring bulb that tolerate shade, so they will thrive under trees or shrubs.
The Spanish Blue Bell flowers have light-blue petals with purple highlights and can often bloom at the same time as daffodils – which make them perfect partners in your garden!
2. Ornamental Onions
The ornamental onion has been cultivated for centuries as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. The long, thin stems with spherical clusters on top make it resemble something out an Dr Seuss book- which might be why they’re so popular among kids!
These deer resistant beauties can also come in blues, purples reds whites pinks yellow flowers…whatever color you like best!
3. Quamash
Camassia is often called the queen of spring flowers. Native to North America, this bulb thrives in dry soils and produces star-shaped purple or white petals that are popular with pollinators like bees!
It also pairs well next to other favorite bulbs such as daffodils for an exciting bouquet combo.