Spring Planters

spring

/spriNG/

noun

 :the season of the year between winter and summer, lasting from March to June north of the equator and from September to December south of the equator

:the season in which vegetation begins to grow

: rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth

Can you smell it in the air?  The smell of warm and crisp air mixed together. The smell of soil thawing, fresh grass growing, and flower buds bursting with their sweet fragrant smell. That is the scent of spring.

Spring. Welcomed by long days, sunny mornings, rainy drizzling afternoons that flood our lawns and gardens with the moisture it so needs. Spring. Marks the beginning of rain-boot season, shovels and lawn mowers. But most important marks the beginning of planting, landscaping and gardens. But freezing nights strike in April and May. The sun’s intensity isn’t strong enough to warm the earth for tender plants in these months. Don’t be fooled by the excitement of a beautiful and warm beginning. We all know Minnesota weather is unpredictable, has a mind of its own and tends to skip from winter to summer and back to winter… Luckily we have some plant selections as a solution to our roller coaster weather ride.

Pansies, unlike their name, are hardy to their core. They can withstand snow, and freezing temperatures down to 28 degrees F. They can even handle a dusting of snow. Other hardy plants for spring planters include, bulbs like tulips and daffodils, hyacinth and muscari. Calla Lillies can handle some cold though not as tolerant as pansies. If you have a covered porch like I do they should be okay. But keep in mind when planting spring pots that you may have to bring the plants in or cover them. (There have already been a few nights that have dipped below 28 so I have had to bring mine in two nights so far.) Below is a video of me planting my favorite planting box that Max made for me. I love wood of all kinds and how natural it looks. For the wood planter I used 2 packs of yellow pansies 2 packs of purple pansies, 2 juncus (those cute grasses) 1 deep purple calla lily, tulips, hyacinth, muscari (grape hyacinth), alyssum, pussy willow branches and grape vine twigs.

As I had mentioned in a previous post, "nesting" is a huge trend this year. Grape Vine (pictured below) is a perfect material to create this look. I planted these super simple planters outside the flower shop this spring and we got so many compliments and people asking to buy grape vine. It is literally just a pansy bowl, some moss and grape vine. Very simple, very inexpensive. Which is exactly what you want for spring, because lets be real... spring planters are only enjoyed for a few short months and then we move on to summer annuals.

Below is another video of my Red Wing crock planter. I love its rustic farm look and the white contrast. It works for every season! Planter recipe: 2 sets of daffodil bulbs (about 6-8 bulbs per container), 1 6" yellow calla lily, 1 pack of all yellow pansies and 1 pack of all purple, 5 stems of pussy willow.

Another quick and simple spring container is to plant an actual pussy willow bush and cover its base with sheet moss. These new varieties are sure to catch your eye with their stunning pink and yellow hue. Cover with some moss and you wont even need flowers! If you're really itching to get something green out early these work for cold spring temperatures because frost/ snow will not hurt them!

Pictured below are my favorite commercial planters from this spring. You can really stuff spring planters full because they don't have enough time to out grow their pot like summer annuals do. In the containers below I used 3 calla lilies (mixed colors), 2 pansy bowls, 3 6" ivy plants, lots of pussy willow and curly willow.

Hopefully I have inspired you to try your hand at planting some spring planters this year! They are fun and can be as simple as buying a pansy bowl and decorating it with pussy willow and twigs. Here's to kicking off warm weather and outdoor planting projects!

-Amy