Spring Flowers in North Texas: You can grow that here?

Spring flowers with their dainty ruffles are some of my favorites! Because our Spring is typically very short here in Dallas/Ft. Worth, I plant the Spring flowers in the Fall so they have enough cold hours to properly bloom. These flowers are called "Cold Hardy Annuals" meaning they can sustain our winters, bloom in the Spring, and then will die out as it warms up. The timing can be tricky, and our severe weather in the Spring is also a factor, but if it works, man are they worth it! Here's a break down of the Spring flowers in this picture:

Anemone: There are many different varieties of Anemones. I planted the "Panda" Anemones (black and white) this year. I love that it's the first flower in my garden to bloom. Depending on temperatures, they can bloom as early as January! They look great by themselves in a vase or blended in a mixed bouquet. They send out many flowers from each corm, which is also a positive!

Ranunculus: Similar in growth pattern and timing of planting to Anemones. They are called the "Rose of Spring" and are the bright pink and yellow flowers in these photos. These are my favorite Spring flower in a good year. This year they fell victim to the moist Winter and Spring and I lost more than half of them due to Botrytis (gray mold). Next year I'll be vigilant in making sure they don't get too wet because they are stunning! The ever expanding layers of petals open more fully the longer they are in the vase.

Tulip: Tulips are tricky but gorgeous! They need to be chilled in the cooler for months before planting out in our gardens (or you can buy pre-chilled bulbs). I plant these out around Christmas time into my garden and they usually start blooming in March. Some varieties won't have long enough stems unless you water them.... a lot! I learned this the hard way. 

Snapdragons: Snapdragons are the spike flowers in this photo. There are so many varieties to choose from, but my favorites this year were the Costa Silver (light pink), and the Butterfly series. This is my first year to grow the Butterfly Chantilly snapdragons, but won't be my last! Their petals have extra ruffles which make them even more beautiful! Snapdragon seeds are tiny, so I start them in soil blocks and use a moistened toothpick to carefully put each seed in its' soil block. They have to be started inside and grow for months under grow lights before being transplanted into the garden, but they are worth it! 

I hope you've enjoyed a little deep dive on some of the early Spring flowers you'll see in your bouquets and arrangements! Fresh flowers after a flowerless Winter is the best sight! 

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