Signs of Spring

The alpine garden is always host to the first emerging plants in my yard. I am expanding this section of my garden currently, and there are many new plants that were put in last year that are emerging. From top to bottom:

1. Aquilegia jonesii (Jone's columbine) is a rare alpine species that grows to only 4" in diameter and 2-3" tall but covers itself with large soft violet-blue flowers in the spring. Always one of the earliest plants to emerge in my garden, the blusish lacy leaves are a welcome sight.

2. Pulsatilla patens (prairie crocus) is a native plant in my area and new to the garden as of last year. It is supposedly among the earliest spring flowers and so far it is living up to its reputation.

3. Sempervivum spp. (hens and chicks) is an evergreen and as such is always among the first visible greenery in the garden after the snow melts. I love these plants because they come in so many different forms and they are easy to grow. I added many new ones to my expanding rockery garden last year and many more will come this year.

4. Lewisia rediviva (bitterroot) is a native plant for my area and another new addition to the garden as of last year. It is a bit of a collectors plant, but I think it belongs in everyone's rock garden. Soon its enormous pink flowers will make this foliage invisible. Above and below the plant in the photo you can see seedlings of Corydalis aurea (golden corydalis), the offspring of a plant I rescued last summer.

5. Species tulips are in my opinion undervalued and I actually like them more than the more common hybrids. They are fantastic rockery plants and I added a couple new species to the rock garden last year to join the existing T. tarda. Pictured is Tulipa pulchella, which will soon have pink flowers.

EDIT: I had forgotten that Pulsatilla patens flowers before the leaves emerge; therefore that plant won't be among the first spring flowers in my garden this year, because it is already producing leaves! Hopefully next year we'll see some flowers.