The rains of the last week are certainly helping spring appear, after a very dry March. There is all sorts of plants in bloom now, here are some of my favorites.

Redbud-Cercis canadensis. We planted 3 of these against Mumford last year, and another one on the Old Chapel Road side of Starr/Axinn. Great plant, small like a crabapple, but shade tolerant. Great as an understory plant in a woodland setting, but also well as a small speciman out in the open. Make sure if you are buying one in Vermont to get a northern grown one, there is a northern strain that is hardier than others you may buy from chain stores.

PJM Rhododendron-this is behind Forest. An early, small leaf rhodie, one of the first to bloom. Great in the shade, it also has an unheralded red fall color, dropping it’s inner most leaves while remaining evergreen nonetheless. Also look for a clearer pink cultivar, Olga.

Fothergilla is in bloom right now. I’ll write about this plant in the fall, when it is in it’s peak color. Suffice it to say I like this native plant quite a bit, and am starting to use it extensivley in the landscape. The bottlebrush feathery white blooms are showing up quite well right now. It’s only drawback I can think of is that it probably won’t still be blooming for commencement.

Canada Red Cherry-Prunus virginiana ‘Shubert’. White flowers right now, but wait for green leaves to emerge that will turn (and stay) red in the next couple of weeks. Dark purple fruits follow, but are so prized by the birds that they are hard to find. This one is behind Pearson, there is another next to the service building.