Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • On Chicago's South Side, a New River Trail Guides the Way Through Nearly Two Centuries of Black History

      On Chicago's South Side, a New River Trail Guides the Way Through Nearly Two Centuries of Black History

      Paddlers on the 7-mile-long American Heritage Water Trail learn the stories of African Americans who fought for freedom and equality. Read More
    • This 136-Year-Old Nebraska Ranch Welcomes Guests to Create, Work and Learn From the Land

      This 136-Year-Old Nebraska Ranch Welcomes Guests to Create, Work and Learn From the Land

      In a far-flung corner of northwest Nebraska, guests come for an experience that unfolds over miles—a story about a fragile ecosystem and the tough woman trying to preserve it. Read More
    • A Pair of Flower Farmers Sows a New Beginning—Twice—in Madison County, Iowa

      A Pair of Flower Farmers Sows a New Beginning—Twice—in Madison County, Iowa

      Jenn and Adam O'Neal put down roots at Pepperharrow Farm, a 20-acre homestead near Des Moines—and worked with nature to bring it back to life after a devastating 2022 tornado. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Take a Day Trip to Charming Winona Lake, Indiana—Just 2.5 Hours from Chicago and Indy

    Take a Day Trip to Charming Winona Lake, Indiana—Just 2.5 Hours from Chicago and Indy

    In the sweet Indiana town of Winona Lake, restored cottages house shops while boats ply a peaceful canal.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Grill Your Biggest, Best Burger Yet with Chicago Chef Erick Williams

    Grill Your Biggest, Best Burger Yet with Chicago Chef Erick Williams

    The James Beard Award winner dishes on eating out, honoring roots and upping your burger game. (Hint: There’s a fried egg and bacon involved.)
    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    A Designer Turned Her Childhood Friend's Home into a Masterful Mash-Up of '70s and '80s Decor Hits

    A Designer Turned Her Childhood Friend's Home into a Masterful Mash-Up of '70s and '80s Decor Hits

    Shared style crushes help a designer pull from childhood memories to shape a new Chicago area home for a long-time friend.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    New Rose Varieties for Frills, Fragrance and Victorian Charm

    New Rose Varieties for Frills, Fragrance and Victorian Charm

    Old-timey blooms are back in vogue—and none more so than roses. An Indiana pro shares her growing tips and recommendations.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Fresh and Colorful Summer Salads

    Fresh and Colorful Summer Salads

    These bright, healthy salads—with veggies, fruits, hearty grains and more—are gorgeous enough to star at your dinner table or a picnic spread.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Tamales are a project, but many hands—even tiny ones—make lighter work.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • DIY Pistachio Wheat Stalks for Fall Decorating
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    About Us

    About Us

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
    • Fall 2022 Issue
    • Winter 2022 Issue
    • Spring 2023 Issue
    • Summer 2023 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Garden
  3. Flowers
  4. Give Your Garden Bright Spring Color

Give Your Garden Bright Spring Color

By Written by Megan McConnell Hughes & Deb Wiley. Photographs by Mark Katzman June 01, 2012
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Crabapple picks for home
Catch the classic jewels of spring--the rich colors of bulbs and blooming trees and shrubs--at these Midwest public gardens, and learn how to bring the beauty home.
Start Slideshow

1 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Beautiful bulbs

Beautiful bulbs

It's as if spring sun comes up from the cold ground when egg-size tulips transform dreary landscapes by unfurling tufts of silky, color-drenched petals.Each spring, a world-class show of color splashes across the 79 acres at St. Louis' Missouri Botanical Garden. During mid-April's peak bloom time, tens of thousands of tulips and daffodils bloom in seas of white, yellow, orange, violet and pink. The display includes more than 100 types of tulips and more than 750 kinds of daffodils.In home gardens, bulbs offer fool-proof bright color. "If you can grow dandelions, you can grow spring bulbs," says Jason Delaney, Mobot's senior outdoor horticulturist. Give bulbs quick-draining soil and ample sunlight, then admire the early color.Pictured: Single Late tulip 'La Courtine'.Missouri Botanical Garden

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bulbs to try: tulips

Bulbs to try: tulips

Some spring bulbs bloom well for a year or two, then disappear. Not these picks from Jason Delaney of the Missouri Botanical Garden.For tulips, Jason suggests cultivars from the Fosteriana, Greigii, Kaufmanniana, Darwin Hybrid and Single Late groups for Midwest gardeners because they come back year to year. His favorites include:'White Emperor' (syn. 'Purissima') A Fosteriana, this plant's milky-white petals light up gardens. 16-18 inches tall.'Stresa' A vivid Kaufmanniana tulip, this early bloomer has yellow-edged red petals. 8-10 inches tall.'Gudoshnik' This Darwin Hybrid blooms in shades from solid red to creamy yellow with mottled petals. 24 inches tall.'Tsar Peter' Creamy-white petals with feathered rose centers decorate this Greigii tulip. 10 inches tall.'Renown' A late-blooming tulip, 'Renown' is in the Single Late group and has reddish-pink flowers and a creamy, blue-edged base. 26 inches tall.Pictured: T. humilis 'Violacea'.

2 of 10

3 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Top daffodils

Top daffodils

Jason's recommendations for Midwest-loving daffodils include: 'Monal' This large-cup daffodil unfurls rich yellow petals and a blazing red-orange cup about two weeks before most other daffodils. 16-18 inches tall.'Pueblo' This late-season daffodil bears tidy little bouquets of two to five white flowers per stem. Expect multiple stems per bulb. 12-14 inches tall.Narcissus poeticus Often growing wild, it has small white flowers with rich yellow cups and dark red edges (left). It is sweetly fragrant and a late bloomer. 12-14 inches tall.

3 of 10

Advertisement

4 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Other spring bulbs

Other spring bulbs

Jason also loves the following easy-to-grow and animal-resistant bulbs: glories of the snow (Chionodoxa sardensis); summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant'); Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica 'Excelsior'), shown at left; Tommy crocus (Crocus tommasinianus'Ruby Giant').Mail-order sources for bulbs include John Scheepers.John Scheepers

4 of 10

5 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Subtle spring rhododendrons

Garden delight

Tulips may be splashier, but rhododendrons can coax a sleepy woodland garden or a shaded nook to life. Flowers glowing in bright white, blue and purple fill the woody stems of these fragrant understory shrubs.The Holden Arboretum's 20-acre rhododendron collection in Kirtland, Ohio, 20 miles northeast of Cleveland, nestles in rolling hills, shaded by towering oaks and maples. The Helen S. Layer Rhododendron Garden includes more than 500 cultivated varieties; some are nearly 60 years old.Age brings beauty to rhododendrons, and these massive specimens create captivating drifts of white, yellow, orange, magenta and purple alongside wide walking paths.Holden Arboretum

5 of 10

6 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rhododendron growing tips

Rhododendron growing tips

Ongoing breeding has generated a host of super-hardy cultivars that thrive in regions as chilly as Zone 3. Growing rhodies requires attention to detail, but they pay gardeners back with masses of roselike spring flowers. Make sure your soil is acidic, porous and well-drained, says Charles Tubesing, chief horticulturist at Holden Arboretum.Many rhododendrons grow well in full sun; all thrive in partial shade produced by tall trees. If your yard has slow-draining clay soil, plant rhododendrons in raised beds filled with 60 percent sand, 30 percent soil and 10 percent acidic organic matter.With shallow, fine roots, these evergreen shrubs need about 1 inch of water a week and rarely demand fertilizer.Pictured: Rhododendron 'Nova Zembla'.

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Good rhododendrons for the Midwest

Good rhododendrons for the Midwest

Charles Tubesing of the Holden Arboretum suggests these cultivars for the Midwest:'Ben Moseley' Clusters of frilled, purple-pink flowers decorate this fragrant shrub in mid-May. 4 feet wide, 5 feet tall. Zones 5-7.'Brown Eyes' Blooming in early May, this fragrant rhododendron has light pink flowers with maroon-bronze throats. 5 feet wide, 5 feet tall. Zones 5-7.'Helsinki University' This hardy cultivar sports light pink flowers and glossy, dark green foliage. Blooms mid-May. 3 feet wide, 5 feet tall. Zones 3-7.'Wyandanch Pink' Massive evergreen leaves form a pleasing backdrop to the pink flowers of this easy plant. 4 feet wide, 6 feet tall. Zones 4-7.At left: R. 'Caroline' stands in the foreground near a walking trail in the Holden Arboretum's rhododendron garden.Mail-order sources for rhododendrons include Rare Find Nursery. Rare Find Nursery

7 of 10

8 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Crazy for crabapples

Crazy for crabapples

Robins and lilacs get credit as "first signs of spring," but for a lot of Midwesterners, crabapple blooms capture the essence of the season.They're hard to miss. These hardy, 10- to 25-foot trees offer a season-spanning show. Come spring, clusters of delicate pink or red blooms open to fragrant sprays of white or pink petals. Crabapples provide shade during the summer, and their clusters of bright yellow, orange or red fruits can last through winter (if you pick a newer variety).

8 of 10

9 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Crabapples at Longenecker

Crabapples at Longenecker

Longenecker Horticultural Gardens (left), set on 35 acres at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, features about 175 crabapple cultivars. The labeled collection showcases some of the newest, oldest and best for the Midwest. Full bloom arrives around May 10.At Longenecker, the juicy-sweet perfume of flowering crabapples mixes with another favorite Midwestern fragrance--lilacs. The garden grows 275 lilacs, one of the nation's largest displays of this hardy shrub. The crabapples and lilacs bloom in tandem, producing a May show worth a special trip.University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Crabapple picks for home

Crabapple picks for home

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum recommends these varieties. All are hardy to Zone 4 and thrive in well-drained soil and full sun.'Adirondack' (Malus 'Adirondack') Ed calls this "the best upright crab." Its red buds become white flowers that set persistent orange-red fruit. It's disease-resistant, especially to scab. 18 feet tall, 16 feet wide.'Candymint' (Malus sargentii 'Candymint') This hybrid sports red flowers, a flat top and a widespread growth habit. White and pink fruit. 8 - 10 feet tall, 18 feet wide.'Firebird' (M. sargentii 'Select' Firebird) Mike Yanny of Johnson's Nursery in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, developed this crab. Its red buds open into white flowers. It sets long-lasting red fruit every year (unlike some crabapples that flower every other year). 8 feet tall and wide.'Louisa' (Malus 'Louisa') This weeping crab has fantastic form and is one of only two crabs with true rose-pink flowers. (The other is Pink Sparkles.) Golden fruit. 15 feet tall and wide.Pink Sparkles ('Malusquest') Developed by Majestic Nursery in West Alexandria, Ohio, Pink Sparkles offers rose-pink flowers; tiny, long-lasting red fruit; and a compact, upright form (15 feet tall, 12 feet wide). This tree is new enough, however, that it may be difficult to find.Sugar Tyme 'Sutyzam' The white-flowered crabappel has nice form and good persistent red fruits. 20 feet tall, 15 feet wide.Sources: For larger trees, check local garden centers. For seedlings in 1- and 5-gallon pot sizes, try Forestfarm.Forestfarm

10 of 10

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Written by Megan McConnell Hughes & Deb Wiley. Photographs by Mark Katzman

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 10 Beautiful bulbs
    2 of 10 Bulbs to try: tulips
    3 of 10 Top daffodils
    4 of 10 Other spring bulbs
    5 of 10 Subtle spring rhododendrons
    6 of 10 Rhododendron growing tips
    7 of 10 Good rhododendrons for the Midwest
    8 of 10 Crazy for crabapples
    9 of 10 Crabapples at Longenecker
    10 of 10 Crabapple picks for home

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab Do Not Sell My Personal Informationthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Give Your Garden Bright Spring Color
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.