Spring Ephemerals

Named for their short-lived but beautiful habit in the spring of budding, flowering, and dying back to dormancy by the start of summer, spring ephemeral wildflowers are not just an excellent addition to add color to the early spring garden, but also work wonderfully to support highly sought-after native pollinators and build healthy ecosystems.

Springbeauty (Claytonia virginica) on left and Harbinger-of-spring (Erigenia bulbosa) on right

While some spring ephemeral flowers like springbeauty (Claytonia virginica) and harbinger-of-spring (Erigenia bulbosa) are tiny and fairly difficult to find in the nursery trade, others are more widespread and more ostentatious in their spring blooms. Two common spring ephemerals for the home garden are bleeding-heart (Dicentra eximia) and Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica), and both are absolutely striking and fairly easy to find at nurseries and garden centers.

Bleeding-heart (Dicentra eximia)

In addition to their appearance, both bluebells and bleeding-hearts are excellent sources of pollen and nectar for native bumblebees, mason bees, butterflies, and moths! And even beyond their pollinator appeal, bleeding-heart and bluebell are both shade tolerant species that can grow very well in the areas below and surrounding large trees in lawns and woodland areas. Having a good crop of low-growing foliage beneath large trees can help to create a so-called ‘soft landing’ zone, which will help protect the health of caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects that might not survive a direct fall onto hard earth or rocks. 

Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells)

With potential for pollinators, supporting insect and ecosystem health, and adding a ton of visual appeal to the spring garden, spring ephemerals make an excellent addition to home landscapes everywhere.

Mason Broderick

Herb & Veggie Plants

Unity’s first crop of cool-weather garden plants is nearly ready to purchase! Herb garden staples like dill, mint, parsley, and chamomile plus leafy green favorites like kale, lettuce, and bok choy will all be ready starting in late March, so this is your heads up to get your gardens prepped and ready!  

After the first crop of herbs and veggies is available, the next few crops through late March and early April will include lavender, basil, marjoram, and tarragon, and we’ll be moving on to cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and all sorts of other garden crops toward the end of April, so it might be a good idea to plan (and plant) in phases! 

We hope you’re looking to another productive and delicious garden season, because we sure are around here! 

Open House Reminder



Unity’s spring open house will take place on Saturday, March 21st from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, featuring discounts, a raffle for a pottery gift card, and all sorts of goodies from Evergrain Bread Company in Chestertown! And if you have questions on amateur design, want some tips and tricks on laying out a DIY project, or need to bounce some ideas off of someone who knows their stuff, we’ll have landscape designers from our sister company Unity Landscape Design/Build on hand to answer questions and talk shop. 

If you’re a rewards member with us, all purchases during the open house will also earn you double rewards points, meaning better savings over longer stretches of time! And if you’re not a rewards member, or if you’re bringing some friends, it’s easy to sign up and start earning discounts ASAP! 

Stay Connected

www.unitychurchhillnursery.com

www.unitylandscape.com

410-556-6010