I think people associate spring with nature more than any other time of year. Granted summer and autumn have a show stopping display of fabulous flora but spring brings people outdoors again, it is a time to get the blood circulating and add a little rosy ness to our cheeks. A time of renewal, a time when you bend down over some foreign plant and recall the great anticipation you had when you planted it the previous fall, now you actually get to watch Mother Nature at work! So, I thought it may be interesting to ask a few long-time Lawrence residents what they most anticipated to sprout, flourish, leaf out and blossom with the onset of each new growing season. Not only were the responses as varied as the Kansas landscape but each participant gave a reason as to why their favorite plant was so beloved.
The Iris
Monika Eichler, a Social Work Researcher and Lawrence resident for 11 years has a particular fondness for the Iris. She states, “My favorite all time spring flower is the Iris bulb, particularly in large bunches. As I walk down the hill on the KU campus, near Twente Hall and the Journalism building, there are many irises to be witnessed growing out of our dear earth. It is a sight to behold. And passing by when the wind is just right, there is sweet aroma that pervades my olfactory sense in a way that makes my heart sing and makes me feel so thrilled to be alive at that very moment.”
The Redbud & Dogwood Trees
Bruce Chladny, Douglas County Extension Office Director, has an admiration for showy Spring trees. He says, “As for perennial spring flowers and color, the two that stand out in my mind are redbud and dogwood. A single tree just does not do it for me. Usually, a single dogwood is sparse and unimpressive when standing alone in the hot summer sun. The past couple of years these two trees have made an impression on me as we travel to central Missouri to visit family. The hardwood covered Ozark Mountains are full of these two natives. And when they are in full bloom before the leaves of the oaks, hickory’s, and walnuts are leafed out - - wow! These will flourish especially on the east or south facing slopes. I might not suggest planting too many dogwoods as they are happier under a canopy of mature, taller trees. But when possible, instead of planting a single tree, try massing them in groups of three, four, or five.”
Karen Pendleton, Owner of Pendleton’s Country Market and an area resident for 25 years, agrees with Chladny in the magnificence of the Redbud but her reasoning is as emotional as it is aesthetics. She recalls, “About 10 years ago, my kids and I were driving past Oak Hill Cemetery when the redbuds were coming into bloom. It was beautiful! I said to the kids, ‘When I die, I want a redbud by my grave because they are so beautiful in the spring.’ And then I added, ‘And if you could also plant a Sarah Bernhardt peony, that would be great.’ The Sarah Bernhardt is about the latest blooming peony in our area, so if any are still blooming on Memorial Day it is usually as Sarah. I didn’t think more about all of this, until about 3 weeks later, my mother and father in-law asked if I’d seen my redbud tree. …The kids had told them about my comments, and they all went out and planted a redbud on our future plot in the cemetery. I wasn’t sure how I should take this at first, but now I’m thrilled there will be a mature redbud there when it’s time for me to go!”
Pendleton adds that peonies can be picked and stored in a refrigerator up until the beginning of July for a bouquet well after their outdoor performance has ended.
Hellebores
Pat Lechtenberg and Mary Olson, both Master Gardeners and long-time Lawrencians, are both quite fond of the Hellebores and I must say I set up camp with this opinion as well. This underused and often unknown flora is a must in every Kansas garden, they have a hardy rose-shaped blooms in reds, pinks, and deep purples with a soft green glow that emerges as they start to dry as the spring continues. They are a wonderful cut flower for bouquets and will be one of the first signs that spring is here when planted in your garden.
Lechtenberg discovered them quite by chance, she says, “Several years ago, in the dead of winter, we were visiting a friend in London. While they don’t have the ice and snow of winter we experience, none the less it was gray and dreary. I was captivated by the nodding greenish white flowers on a large clump of green foliage. It was my introduction to Hellebores. I came home and planted a couple of varieties. I enjoy them every winter and the blooms last a long time. I have the Lenten rose rather than the Christmas rose varieties but that will be my next addition. I recently saw a new double variety in a catalog but it is very pricey — like $50 — so I’ll wait for that one until it comes down in price but it is gorgeous.”
Anemones & Thermopsis Lupine
Crystal Miles, Horticulture Manager for Lawrence Parks and Recreation, states a couple of her favorite spring arrivals that the city has scattered throughout town, “A popular spring flowering plant is the shade garden plant Anemone sylvestris ‘Snowdrops’ found near the entrance of the Senior Citizen’s Center. They are considered Rabbit and Deer resistant so hold up well in back yards and park areas. Another unusual perennial is the Thermopsis caroliniana. Carolina Lupine found at 23rd and Mass on the west side. It is a long-lived perennial, yellow spike flower that does well in partial shade and looks especially striking in the morning mist.”
Tulips & Hyacinths
Judge Deanell Tacha, a long-time Lawrence resident, recalls Easter celebrations going hand and hand with her favorite spring perennials, “I absolutely love the spring tulips and hyacinths! They remind me of Easters long ago when we hid and found Easter eggs in my parents’ yard and then my Dad always got corsages for my mother and all of us girls, there are four of us! Mother insisted that we wear Easter hats and frilly pastel dresses so the tulips and hyacinths were just part of the scene.”
Lilacs
Charles Gruber, A realtor and Lawrence inhabitant for 35 years, finds great encouragement in the Lilacs ability to withstand and prosper in an oftentimes unpredictable Kansas blooming season. He states, “I have two lilac bushes in my yard. The one in front always blooms a week before the one in back. Every year I get a strong appreciation for the courage of these luscious blossoms. Nearly every spring, one of them succumbs to the frost but the other one survives. And its gift to us is a scent that brings back memories of my childhood in Connecticut. I knew I could put a smile on my mother’s face when I brought her a bouquet of lilacs. Maybe this’ll be the year both bushes bloom and I’ll remember, twice, the smile I cherished.”
I thank all of these spring enthusiasts for sharing some of their favorite perennials. This list could go on and on with such fabulous spring flora as Bleeding-Hearts, Columbine, Coral Bells, Magnolia Trees, Forsythia, Spirea, Tulips and Daffodils but instead homage will have to be paid to those plants on your own time by lingering a little longer and conjuring up your own memories.
