What's Blooming: February

Here are some of the plants you will find in bloom this month at the Elizabeth Lawrence House & Garden.

tazetta daffodil

Narcissus ‘Early Pearl’ lives up to its name. It’s also highly fragrant.

daffodil

Narcissus ‘February Gold’ also lives up to its name.

hoopskirt daffodil

This Narcissus romieuxii hybrid has a more flared “skirt” than other hoopskirts.

daffodil

Narcissus ‘February Silver’ is another little bulb that lives up to its name.

spring star flower

Speaking of little bulbs, Ipheion uniflorum is a wonderful one to plant in the lawn. Its season of growth is opposite that of almost any lawn.

flowering quince

Elizabeth’s original Chaenomeles x superba ‘Apple Blossom’ has bloomed faithfully every spring since 1950.

Burkwood osmanthus

Osmanthus x burkwoodii has very similar flowers to the more common fragrant tea olive, but its fragrance is milder and fresher.

crocus

One of Elizabeth Lawrence’s favorite little bulbs was Crocus chrysanthus ‘Cream Beauty’.

reticulate iris

Iris reticulata ‘Spot On’ has sharply contrasting colors, which makes for a dramatic yet small-statured bloom.

double Lenten rose

Winter is the season for the Lenten rose. Helleborus ‘Sparkling Diamond’ is a newer addition to the garden.

Lenten rose

At the other end of the color spectrum is the dusky, dark and handsome Helleborus ‘Bobby J. Ward’.

hare's ear snowdrop

It’s easy to see how Galanthus nivalis ‘Scharlockii’ gets its common name.

Sim's azalea

Elizabeth Lawrence’s original Rhododendron simsii ‘Vitattum’ usually throws a few to several blooms in December and January.

flowering quince

Elizabeth’s original Chaenomeles x superba ‘Pink Lady’ throws flowers regularly starting in October, yet its biggest show is in February.

widow's iris

Here’s another flower with high drama: Hermodactylus tuberosa.