9 Perennials That Bloom in April | Early Spring Color for Cottage Gardens | Perennial Garden

Spring bulbs bring a lot of color to the garden here in April. But there are also quite a few perennials that bring life and color right before the rest of the garden starts to wake up. And that's what we thought we would show you today. A few of our favorite perennials that are blooming already here in April. That's true. And here we have the first one we want to show you. It's this plaited longwort. It's really pretty. It has these dots like the longsworth. Really, really pretty here. We have it in different varieties. This one has, as I just mentioned, really beautiful dots on it. And just look at the flowers here. They start really, which is really funny, they start being first the pinkish ones and then the bees come and pollinate it and they turn to a bit more like purple, a shade of purple as you can see. It's really a nice alternative to Denmark, this one. When it's first established, it's really drought tolerant and also great at self-sowing around the garden. So do be careful when you weed around. But it gives so much color now. And what's really great is that it's really great for the early pollinators because it already actually flowered for weeks on and on now. And it gets a height around 20 to 25 centimeters. Loves to be in semi-shade to actually, we have them also areas in shade and in full sun. So it's really, it can be in different areas. It likes a really well-drained soil here. We have them different places, whereas some of them where there's a little bit more gravel and they are also doing fine. So it's actually a very tough plant, I would say. They also say we don't have any deer here, but if you struggle with deer, they are also not eaten by deer, which is really a great idea, I think. It's also a great alternative to hostas because the slugs aren't super crazy with it. We haven't had a big problem with slugs and snails so far this year, although the rain has started, so we might. And we have this one in sort of a dark purple. That's true, dark purple. And it's also, you can get it in like in a white one as well, which is really pretty. It's also in a more reddish color. So you can get a different color scheme in it. And it's just, I think it's really pretty. So do be careful when they finish flowering. In here sits the, in the future in here, will be the seed pods. And they will, oh, they're actually already there. You can see them, maybe I'll take one out here. So if I pull this apart, you can actually see the seeds when they're all, now they're not ready when it's green here, but then they will self-sow. So then you'll start having them here and where and everywhere. So that's really a great one. So here we have kopiel, also called windflower. I really like this one. Also because it is like an early flowering, like some of the other ones we're going to show you. But even the foliage is really funny. It has really like, as you can see down here, really fluffy and almost like hairy foliage here that they start with. And then they start popping up with a bunch of flowers. And once it's established, it just keep getting bigger and bigger. Also in diameter, it gets a tab root. So you really need to decide once you plant it, don't touch it anymore because it doesn't like to be moved. It also doesn't like to be divided. That tab root is just like a lupine. They don't like to have that happen. And actually this one also, once it's established, is very drought tolerant and it loves to be just full sun and not to be in, actually in very poor soil. So don't plant it where you might think it's going to do well with like really strong soil or wet soil because it is really like, once we plant it, I added some gravel and some sand and some stones underneath the soil just to really give it well drainage because then it's really doing well. It gets height around 20-25 centimeters. As older it gets, it'll get a little bit bigger. And it's great at self-sowing, which also I think it's really nice. And even the seed pods is almost like a dandelion. Really, really pretty, even better than the dandelion. And then stands for a very long, really white and very fluffy. And so that's also a big plus. And the pollinators really just love getting in there. Some of the varieties, we have one here in Denmark, a very special one that's native to Denmark. And of course we can't pick that one. But luckily we can, the other varieties here because it's really a nice plant exactly for the early pollinators. So they have a lot to fill up on when they wake up. Just look at these tiny little blue flowers. This, I've often joked that our garden is sponsored by it here in the early spring because you see them everywhere. But we absolutely love them. That's right. I was just about to like argument why we like it. But it is, of course, a great self-seeder because we have it everywhere. But it's easy to move away and that it just flowers really early. And it's great. We just yesterday had a really, really pretty butterfly in it. And it's really attract a lot of insects and give so much color here. And a lot of people are like, oh, is it like the forget-me-nots really looks like that. This is the traditional Brunnera here with just the green foliates. It's evergreen and it's really a great ground cover. Also spreads and closes off for any like weeds around it. And you will quickly have a lot of it. Does really great. It's really a tough plant. Does great in full sun, half shade, shade, you name it. You can have it everywhere. And it doesn't really mind. It can be in really rich soil out in the garden. Or if you have a bit more sandy or stony area, it also is doing well. You see it a lot also in our town or just anywhere in Denmark. Just everywhere like near out in front of the houses and stuff like that. So it's really great for and it gets around a good height as well. We have it some around the border, but also further in where, of course, self-sowed. We have some under a tree, but around 40, 45 centimeters tall. We have one that's kind of like where the foliates is like two-toned, I would say. And we also have the Brunnera. Let's show them. So here's the Brunnera Jack Frost, as I mentioned down there. But just look at the foliage. Once the later on in the season, these ones almost looks like an elephant ear, but it gets really as big and wide as my hand. And I love the pattern here because once the flowers are gone, this will also still give a lot of color to the garden, just the foliage. But this one is the same as the other one down there. And they're standing here in like a half shade. And also just this one as well attracts a lot of insects. And it's just a must-have in our garden, one of our clear favorites. It's a must-have even if we didn't want it because it is a prolific self-seeder. So it's a gotta have it. But like Lars said, they really are easy to move. We've already potted up quite a few this season already to give to neighbors and friends. Yeah. So this is actually that other one. I mentioned the broad one where they have like a two-toned color here. I think that's really pretty too and very brights up this flower bed. And we just planted it last year and it's gotten really so much bigger. I'm excited to see lots of babies around here that we can have it in a little bigger area. Not Alan's favorite kind, but it's here to stay. I don't mind it. Yeah, this what he means is this really bright yellow. From a distance, I just think it needs water. Yeah. Now that I know, thanks Lars. Now that I know, I will love it. Good. Can you talk about April perennials without talking about this one? Right. I don't think you can. One of our absolute favorites. The Leutnant's Jære. Jæreblomst Odicentra. Bleeding Heart. Lieutenant's Heart in Danish, right? Yes, that's true. Very nice. What a fancy name, I think. But look at those hearts. It's really a pretty one. It's actually more of a heart before it opens up. Here you can really see, you can really see it looks like a heart once it opens up. But it's really, I also love the foliage here. It can get, the height-wise is around 50 to a meter depending on this one. Actually, not as high as last year. We just talked about it the other day. It was more wet last spring. So it was already now so much bigger. But it also already starts to flower now. Once this one compared to other perennials, this one, you have to have some other perennials around because this one totally dies down. All the foliage looks not very pretty. So you have to have something that can cover that. The insects, a lot of bumblebees. Actually, we see them flying around and visiting these ones. So it's really a must-have. We have it in pinks. We also have some small hearts, one that's low. And we have a white one. You can also get it in more girly pink, I think. It's really a pretty perennial here for the early to give a lot of color here. Loves rich to poor soil. Can be in, we have some full sun and also some in shade. So it can be more places. Yeah, right. Traditionally, it kind of loves that partial shade to shade. But this, I mean, this is a spring day. So even here in the sun, it's not full sun all the time because of the climate that we have. But this one is in full sun from morning until late afternoon. That's true. And you can actually collect seeds of it. Haven't really done it so much. But you could also propagate them by cuttings or divide it. Actually, take a spade down and after it's finished flowering, take a piece and move it somewhere else. So that's a great tip, too. So here we have a really great perennial. That's great for ground cover and spreads, which I really like. And it's this one. Pleite Zwitten. Dotted dead nettle, it's called. Really pretty on them. Not even if it doesn't flower. It has these, the foliates. I really like the contrast to that one. And look at the flowers here. Really pretty pink. And really well visited by all the early pollinators. And it's really, we have it here close to the border because it really spreads. You can easily divide it. Mainly full sun to semi-shade. But we have it mainly in full sun where it's really doing well. And it's very low, as you can see. So around 20 centimeters tall. And it has another thing that's really great for this one is that it flowers for a very long time. From now and then all the way into July. And what we then do sometimes, we deadhead it. We take all the dead flowers away. And then we'll have a second flower. And here in between tulips and the emperor's crown and Narcissa. We have one of the newest perennials in our garden. That's right. It's only one year old. It's Vorfladbel. It's a very special one. It's Latyrus Vernus. And also Spring Pea, it's called. And the foliate is also really pretty. It only gets height around 30 centimeters. And so by time it gets more and more like a bush. It was gifted by a lady that I met last year. Actually, I want to, when it's finished flowering, I want to have it more out. So we can see it a bit more. But for now, it's really pretty here. You can have it full sun, but then you need to make sure that it's well-drained around here. Otherwise, it can also be more half-shade area. And it's really turned into a little bush and flowers for a very long time. And it just has the prettiest little flowers here. And I've seen a lot of insects visiting this perennial as well. So here we have actually also a really pretty one. And it's called Bisbehu. It has rained a little bit, so the petals are falling off a little bit. But it has these really pretty yellow, bright yellow flowers here. But also the foliage I really like is green now. And then later on, it will make a great show, just getting like autumn colors. So it keeps the foliage. Actually, many places in Denmark, they have color all year. They kind of leave color now all the way. And then later on, as I said, it gets that bright autumn color as well. Almost bronze color. Loves full shade to half shade. And it's very low, as you can see, around 25 centimeters tall. And by time, it will spread. And you have a really great plant for ground cover here. And also the insects are busy in this one. So next to the Bisbehu here, I have also one that's one of my clear favorites. Didn't flower just now. Actually flowered almost, I would say, like four weeks ago, way back last month. But it's flowered for around three months. It's a Lund Vordermilk, which is really, really pretty as well. I don't only have it for the flower, but also for the foliage, because it has such a dark foliage and it will change color later on. Will be almost black later on in the season. And the flowers here like lime green and like three months. I kid you not, they flower for a very long time. And it's almost like the, right, the Brax. Yeah, they're called Brax. So it's like a poinsettia or a bougainvillea or salvia viridis. So that's really what's giving you all that lime green color. Besides just the tiny, tiny flower inside. It gets around like 35 to 40 centimeters tall. So we have it right here to the border. So it's a really a great combination next to the Dicentra and the Brunnera. It's a great, and it likes, can be full sun to half shade. So it gets a little bit of both here. Also next to, we have a different variety here, Minus Millau. And, and it's actually funny because this one was also dark foliage, but in the old days it was used for warts. When you break it off, it has like a milky substance and then you, it could irritate your skin. So I don't really break it off and smear it on my skin. Then you might, I don't have any warts I need to treat. But anyway, that's what they did in the old days. But those are really like a great combination in this corner here. And they just keep going with this lovely, lovely color here. Here we have a great combination about some of the early, all early flowers, all put together. We have the Brunnera. We have the Plated Tsvetsan. We have the Longsworth. And we have the last one in the middle here. It's a very penguin, Daupraxiane. Also native to Denmark here. Really great. It's drought tolerant and it's here in full sun and doesn't, actually it's very just, you can have it in very sandy soil. Doesn't need very rich. And it attracts a lot of early pollinators. This one is actually very, always been very low. We have some other ones that where the stem is much, it will get, eventually you can see the stem is coming. So it'll get up around here. Range is between, we have some that's 60 centimeters tall. But this one is a little bit lower. I would say more like 50. But it's also great at self-sowing. And it's really gives this pop of color here. And has a long flowering time as well. We have it now. And then I would say like a good one and a half months where it flowers. So it's also a must-have in our garden. Okay. So that wasn't a complete list. But it is what we have flowering right now. Some of the ones we have flowering right now here in April. We actually have a bunch more. Like things like Helleborus that has flowered for a very long time. We have Kempesteinbrach and the Primula that Alan just showed you. Exactly. So let us know in the comments what perennials, especially. We know the bulbs are really popular this time of year. But what type of perennials are flowering in your garden wherever you are in the world right now in April? We would really love to know. We love when we get a big long list to add to our one-day garden. Yeah. So thank you so much for watching. Moin!