Lilacs getting ready to bloom at a local park and Lady's Mantle in our yard after the morning rain.
Lilacs getting ready to bloom at a local park and Lady’s Mantle in our yard after the morning rain.

Ah, spring has officially sprung and all of the lovely plants are blooming and the buds on the trees are popping open. I love seeing all of the new growth this time of year (even if it makes my allergies kick in a bit). Seeing those pale greens and yellows at first…then all of a sudden some happy little daffodils & tulips start popping up and it’s so nice to get outside and start exploring.

Late last week we had two mornings of overcast skies & a light drizzle — perfect for capturing some of these early spring plants — so I threw on my rain jacket & went on a couple of rainy morning strolls with my camera.

Love the different colors when planted in a large group.
Love the different colors when planted in a large group.

Yellow Tulips | theinspiredparent.com

We live near a pretty park that is known for growing many varieties of lilacs. A few lilacs like the ones in the cover photo were just starting to show signs of deep purple blossoms getting ready to pop. Masses of daffodils were blooming and some of the tulips were just starting to say hi. 🙂 I will definitely head back there over the next couple of weeks as more tulips & lilacs begin to bloom.

Found these little treasures at the park - so pretty!
Found these little treasures at the park – so pretty!
Love the ruffles on these daffodils!
Love the ruffles on these daffodils!

Last fall we planted some daffodil bulbs in our backyard — two pretty varieties to add some cheerful color to the areas where our purple coneflower and shasta daisies will bloom later this summer. We’ve really enjoyed having the early-season color from the daffodils in that bed this year.

One of the varieties that we planted in our backyard. It's a long wait when you plant the bulbs in autumn, but such an exciting treat once they bloom in spring!
One of the varieties that we planted in our backyard. It’s a long wait when you plant the bulbs in autumn, but such an exciting treat once they bloom in spring!
A little early for the wonderful lilac scent, but that will be happening very soon by the looks of these!
A little early for the wonderful lilac scent, but that will be happening very soon by the looks of these!
Lady's Mantle - one of my favorites! | theinspiredparent.com
Lady’s Mantle – one of my favorites!

The photo above is of one of my favorite perennials — Lady’s Mantle. I shot this image last week during our morning rainstorm. I first noticed this little gem many years ago in Toronto at Casa Loma where they have a huge bed of it — the sprinklers had just gone off and I was intrigued by the water droplets on the leaves. When we moved into our house, Lady’s Mantle was at the top of my list of plants I wanted to add to our yard. I still love the way the leaves look after it rains — especially on the baby leaves that are just starting to sprout.

These are just a few of the happy plants I saw the other day. I also adore magnolias, but the timing wasn’t quite right to capture those the other morning since it was quite windy. Hoping to get some new shots of those very soon and will definitely keep shooting more of our plants as they start to bloom so I can post more of those throughout the season.

What are some of your favorite spring plants?

6 Comments

  1. I love spring. We planted some gardenia bushes in the backyard this year and some floral bulbs in the front. It has been so exciting for our little guy to check his “sprouts” when we tend to them. These pictures are stunning. Thank you for sharing.

  2. These flowers are all beautiful! I can’t even pick a favorite. My favorite in my yard are the lilacs. Not too familiar with the Lady’s Mantle. It looks so pretty, I think I might plant some this year. Thanks for getting me ready for spring and gardening!

    Avatar Janet

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