4 Spring Plants To Get Your Garden Growing

Fill your yard with colorful, hardy plants that can stand up to the frost.

It’s officially spring! Though it may not be time to pack away all your coats, the lengthening and warming days have us craving the outdoors again—and time in the garden.

Ready for that garden to become a haven of colors once again? Then you must start planting early. Now is the perfect time pick up annuals so that your garden blooms into a beautiful herald of the season.

“It’s still before the last frost date, so you still want to look for things that can stay out in cold weather,” says Colleen Caruso, a manager at Woodcliff Lake’s Bel Fiore Greenhouses. Some specific suggestions? Try:

Crocus. These bulbs poking their colorful heads through the soil are many people’s first indication that spring is truly here. They’re also very hardy perennials, meaning that one season of planting will ensure that you have early spring flowers for years to come.

Pansy. Caruso singles out pansies as one of the best early-spring flowers, which are known for bright hues and unique gradients and veining on their petals. These flowers, commonly grown as annuals, can stand up to a late frost—in fact, they need cooler temperatures to thrive. Plant these flowers in either full or partial sun.

Herbs. Thinking of a home-grown herb garden to spice up your warm-weather cooking? You can get that started early, as many herbs stand up well to cooler temperatures. “Try thyme, rosemary or mint,” advises Caruso. All three of these perennials also have delicate, attractive leaves and are deer-resistant, so your garden won’t become a snack to anyone but you.

Ranunculus. Our expert describes these perennials as “little round spheres of color—they’re very pretty.” These blooms, pictured above, are great for early-season color and for starting the process of attracting pollinators to your garden.

Have a garden you can’t wait to show off? Be sure to tag us in all your pictures on Instagram @bergenmagnj.