eximia, Fringed Bleeding Heart, will do well, with its delicate blue-green, fern-like foliage. Either of these are fast growing and easy to maintain in sun or shade. There is a plethora of yellow-blooming plants in spring including a really lovely native perennial called Merrybells, Uvularia grandiflora. Who wouldn't want a graceful plant with a cheerful name like that in his or her garden? The very pale-yellow and slender bell-like flowers dangle like pen- dants from arching stems, and are offset by a bluish-green foliage. A native plant found throughout New England, it does best in dappled shade with consistent moist soil. A rugged native with pale-red orange flowers that emerge mid-spring is Aquilegia canadensis, the Wild Columbine. The blue- green dissected, fern-like foliage lasts the entire growing season, and it deserves a spot in any garden large or small. Its blooms usually coincide with the arrival of the migrating ruby-throated hummingbirds and provide them with a good food source. Who doesn't want to encourage hummers into their garden? Wander around your garden this spring and find a spot for one of these lovely ephemerals or others you may discover on your own in your local garden center, and think spring! ★
RUTH FURMAN is a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist (MCH). She trained in horticulture in England and spent many happy years work- ing and gardening there.
SPRING/SUMMER 2012 ★ north bridge magazine ★ 7