May & June Bloomers
If you’re looking to plan your garden for year round color and want to know what some of the best late spring garden options are, you’ve come to the right place! All of the suggestions listed on this page are hardy for our area, so you won’t have to worry about losing them over the winter if you follow our tips and the weather turns sour as it has the last few years. We broke them down into a few common categories to make it easy for you.
Fruits
Strawberries & Blueberries
Blueberries – Blueberries are difficult to get established, but once established they’ll last for roughly 30 years. They require acidic, sandy soils that are moist but not saturated. You’ll want to shelter them from the wind and apply a thick layer of mulch at the base and even a burlap windbreaker for the first season to protect them in the winter. Popular varieties include Blue Jay, Chandler, Duke, Earliblue, Jersey and others. These typically are in the 5-6 foot range in both height and spread.
Raspberries – One of the higher maintenance shrubs, these plants prefer moist conditions that shouldn’t dry out. They’re fast growing and are perfect for attracting birds. Popular varieties for our area include Bristol, Heritage, Jewel, and others. Raspberries typically are in the 4-5 foot range in height and 3-4 foot wide.
Strawberries – Strawberries are typically one of the easier fruits to grow, and offer you around 2-3 weeks of harvest. There’s quite a variety of options to choose from including Allstar, Earliglow, Honeoye, Jewel, Surecrop, Tristar, and more. They are relatively compact with a height around 6-8 inches and spread of 18-24 inches. We recommend pinching off the flowers the first year to promote growth and a better yield the following year.
Flowering Shrubs
Lilacs – One of the local favorites for their sweet smell and beautiful flowers, lilacs are great, low maintenance shrubs that are an excellent choice for butterfly gardens. Lilacs prefer full sun and can do well in both moist and dry locations. There are some smaller, ever-blooming varieties like Bloomerang that stay smaller in the 4×5 foot range, but other varieties can easily surpass the 12 foot mark.
Roses – Roses are another great late spring, early summer bloomer that gives you a plethora of color and size choices. There are several types including, floribunda, grandiflora, climbing, hybrid tea, miniature, and others. Roses like to be in full sun, and can possibly be susceptible to disease and insects unless you properly care for them or choose a newer option like the Knockout Roses. These are smaller flowered rosebushes that are very hardy and offer blooms most of the spring through the fall.
Weigela – While many of these shrubs could also fall under the foliage category below, the weigela is a colorful bloomer that is a superb shrub for hummingbird enthusiasts. Some dwarf varieties like My Monet or Midnight Wine only grow a foot to two foot, and other varieties like Red Prince, Wine and Roses, and Sonic Bloom Red can hit the 5-6 foot range. Weigelas prefer full sun.
Trees
Crabapples – These hardy trees offer you both fragrant flowers and fruit which gives you something to enjoy in both mid spring and later on again in the fall. These full sun crabapple trees also have colorful foliage and really give your landscape a great mix of color options such as white (Donald Wyman and Sargent’s), red, and pink (Cardinal and Prairiefire).
Dogwoods – Dogwoods provide you another great mix of colorful blooms in the late spring, as well as showy foliage for the fall. These trees are picky with their soil much like blueberries, and enjoy rich, acidic soils in a sheltered location. We recommend applying a thick layer of mulch and perhaps a burlap windbreaker to help it last the first winter or two. Some smaller varieties grow in the 7-8 foot range with others reaching a max height and width of 30-35 feet.
Golden Chain Tree – This beautiful tree features wisteria-like flowers that hang with yellow color in the spring. With a full size of 15 feet with a 10 foot spread, it has a low clearance. While it is low maintenance, it prefers a cooler root area with partial shade.
We encourage you to check out some of these breathtaking spring bloomers, and let us know some of your favorites on our social pages linked at the top of our page. As always, if you have any specific questions or need help planting, with soil preparation, or design services we’re more than happy to help. Just give us a call at 292-5696!