Eranthis hyemalis (Winter Aconite) is a charming tuberous perennial that bursts from the ground in late winter (before crocuses) with cup-shaped, upward-facing, bright yellow flowers (1 in. wide or 3 cm), surrounded by divided leafy bracts. The foliage of rich green leaves, divided into several lobes, emerges after the flowers. Winter Aconites go dormant by late spring.

Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop) is one of the earliest and loveliest spring flowering bulbs, adding several weeks of color and beauty to the garden from late winter - early spring. Slightly fragrant, this small bulbous perennial features dainty, nodding white flowers with a green spot at the apex of each petal atop 2 narrow, grayish-green leaves. The foliage emerges before the flowers, develops during and after bloom, and neatly fades away in spring.

Showy and long-lasting, Hellebore Winter Jewels 'Amethyst Gem' (Helleborus) features double, cup-shaped, deep amethyst-rose blossoms delicately margined in opal. Blooming for weeks from late winter to early spring, these nodding beauties rise on sturdy, thick stems above the leathery, glossy, evergreen foliage. Exquisitely beautiful!

Betula utilis var. jacquemontii (Himalayan Birch), prized for its brilliant and exceptionally white bark, is a lovely addition to the landscape. While young trees have a rich brown bark, it quickly changes to gleaming snow-white as the tree matures. Vigorous and fast-growing, this medium-sized deciduous tree has an open pyramidal habit with graceful and delicate branching. It bears alternately arranged, ovate, dark green leaves, which turn bright yellow in fall. Not surprisingly, this is one of the most popular birch trees. Exceptionally hardy, it performs best in cool northern climates and does poorly in the heat and humid areas.

Few sights surpass a mixed planting of Cyclamen coum (Persian Violet) on an early spring morning! Award-winning Cyclamen coum is an early spring bloomer with lovely heart-shaped, glossy leaves and small but showy flowers in shades of white to rosy-purple with every hue in between. Adding several weeks of cheerful color and beauty to the garden in late winter - early spring, the blossoms are so abundant that they almost obscure the leaves! Very decorative, the leaves may be plain dark green but are also adorned with pretty silver patterns.

Eranthis hyemalis (Winter Aconite) is a charming tuberous perennial that bursts from the ground in late winter (before crocuses) with cup-shaped, upward-facing, bright yellow flowers (1 in. wide or 3 cm), surrounded by divided leafy bracts. The foliage of rich green leaves, divided into several lobes, emerges after the flowers. Winter Aconites go dormant by late spring.

Noted for its strong garden performance, Galanthus 'Lady Beatrix Stanley' produces fully double, nodding white flowers, 1 in. wide (2.5 cm), with small green teardrops at the tips of their inner petals. Forming a tightly packed rosette, the long, narrow outer petals nicely enclose the wider inner petals which resemble many layered petticoats. The elegant blooms rise atop a foliage of semi-erect, glaucous, pale green leaves in late winter - early spring. Superb and vigorous, this small bulbous perennial will happily multiply to form large colonies.

Noted for its stunning bright coral red stems in winter, award-winning Cornus alba 'Sibirica' (Tatarian Dogwood) is a medium-sized, suckering, deciduous shrub forming a thicket of vibrant red stems, turning bright crimson in winter. Often numerous, they radiate beautifully from the base of the shrub. Flat-topped clusters of tiny yellowish-white flowers, 2.5 in. wide (6 cm), appear in late spring and sometimes sporadically flower in summer. While not especially showy, they attract butterflies and pollinators and give way in midsummer to clusters of bluish-white berries, that are greedily devoured by birds. The summer foliage consists of elliptic to ovate, mid to dark green leaves, that turn brilliant purple-red in fall. Prized for its stunning fall color, attractive berries, and vivid red stems, this Tatarian Dogwood is a spectacular addition to the garden for most seasons. Cornus alba 'Sibirica' certainly adds a WOW! to the winter landscape.

Noted for its luminous and attractive foliage, Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold' (Wintercreeper) is a low-growing, broadleaf, evergreen shrub with a spreading habit. It forms a dense, bushy mat of glossy, ovate to elliptic, dark green leaves edged with gold and tinged pink in fall and winter. It produces a few tiny, inconspicuous, greenish flowers in early summer. Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. Reported to be invasive in natural areas in most of the states in the eastern half of the U.S.

One of the oldest Snowdrop cultivars (1858), Galanthus 'Straffan' is a real beauty and a great garden Snowdrop. A late flowering Snowdrop, it produces 2 flowering stems per bulb and therefore enjoys a much longer flowering season than others. The inner petals of its nodding white flowers are interestingly adorned with a green marking at their tips, which is often compared to a Chinese bridge. The dainty blooms rise atop the foliage of narrow, gray-green leaves in late winter - early spring. Vigorous and easy to grow, this small bulbous perennial is best massed in sweeping drifts under large deciduous trees or planted along walks or paths where these charming beauties can be easily admired.

Noted for its colorful stems and twigs in winter, Bloodtwig Dogwood 'Midwinter Fire' (Cornus sanguinea) is a hard plant to beat for a colorful show in the winter garden. It features spectacular decorative features: golden fall foliage followed by branches and stems that start yellow at the base of the plant and gradually turn bright orange to crimson towards the tip of the plant. Fragrant tiny white flowers appear in late spring that will attract butterflies. They will give way to clusters of dark purple berries in summer that are very attractive to birds.

Robust and incredibly attractive, Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno' is a double snowdrop, which produces dainty, nodding white flowers, 1 in. long (2.5 cm), delicately marked with a green spot at the apex of each petal. Slightly fragrant, the fluffy blooms rise atop a foliage of narrow, grayish-green leaves in late winter - early spring. This small bulbous perennial is one of the earliest and loveliest spring flowering bulbs, adding several weeks of color and beauty to the garden. Best massed in sweeping drifts under large deciduous trees or planted along walks or paths where these charming beauties can be easily admired.

One of the most superb ornamental grasses, Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' (Hakone Grass) is a very beautiful golden variegated grass. Its foliage forms attractive mounds of gracefully arching, shiny leaves that ripple in the slightest breeze. The leaves are almost entirely variegated with gold longitudinal stripes that take chartreuse colors in the shade and turn brighter in the sun. Bringing alive any garden area, its foliage provides outstanding fall color when it changes to exquisite copper-orange shades before dying to the ground in winter.

Noted for its dramatic foliage, Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' is a mondo grass cultivar forming dense tufts of arching, strap-shaped, grass-like, dark purple to almost jet black leaves, about 8-12 in. long (20-30 cm). Racemes of small, bell-shaped, pale pinkish white flowers emerge on dark stems in summer before giving way to glossy dark purple berries. Reminiscent of Liriope, this evergreen perennial is tough, durable and perfect for adding drama and contrast to the garden. Fabulous when combined with caramel Heuchera, silver or gold foliage plants.

Fast spreading, Crocus tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant' boasts rich red-purple, star-shaped flowers adorned with bright orange anthers. The grass-like foliage displays narrow, median silvery stripes. Borne on sturdy stems, the flowers withstand wind and rain. The profuse flowering and spontaneous self-propagation make this crocus a very great choice for naturalizing. Once the corms of 'Ruby Giant' have established themselves, their flowers will emerge year after year in seemingly infinite numbers. This early spring-flowering crocus is one of the best for naturalizing in grass. Great also planted in clusters at the front of borders or in patio pots.

Eranthis hyemalis (Winter Aconite) is a charming tuberous perennial that bursts from the ground in late winter (before crocuses) with cup-shaped, upward-facing, bright yellow flowers (1 in. wide or 3 cm), surrounded by divided leafy bracts. The foliage of rich green leaves, divided into several lobes, emerges after the flowers. Winter Aconites go dormant by late spring.

Taller than Galanthus nivalis, Galanthus elwesii, commonly known as Greater Snowdrop or Giant Snowdrop, also features larger flowers. Dainty, the nodding, white blooms display a double green mark on the inner petals that sometimes merge into one. They rise atop the foliage of bold, broad, silver-gray leaves which are reminiscent of those of tulips. This perennial is one of the earliest and loveliest spring flowering bulbs, adding several weeks of color and beauty to the garden from late winter - early spring.

Flowering in late winter to early spring, the Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum) generally appears at the same time as the snowdrops (Galanthus). Each flower stem usually carries a solitary lightly scented flower, white with green spots on its tepals, and rises above elongated, strap-shaped, glossy green leaves. Growing up to 8 - 10 inches (20 - 25 cm), this white beauty is an easy grower, naturalizes well and will multiply over time. It tolerates boggy spots and will do well on the edges of natural ponds.

Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop) is one of the earliest and loveliest spring flowering bulbs, adding several weeks of color and beauty to the garden from late winter - early spring. Slightly fragrant, this small bulbous perennial features dainty, nodding white flowers with a green spot at the apex of each petal atop 2 narrow, grayish-green leaves. The foliage emerges before the flowers, develops during and after bloom, and neatly fades away in spring.

A sport of Iris 'Harmony', award-winner Iris 'Pixie' is a terrific Dwarf Iris with vibrant violet-blue flowers, 2.5 in. wide (7 cm), beautifully adorned with white and gold markings in the falls. The foliage of slender, grass-like, gray-green leaves typically rises to the same level as the flower but elongates to 15 in. (37 cm) after flowering before disappearing in late spring as the plant goes dormant. Blooming in late winter to early spring, these pretty flowers (usually 1-2 per bulb) are rich with a sweet fragrance.

Vigorous, Crocus tommasinianus 'Whitewell Purple' features elegant, slender-petalled, purple flowers adorned with silvery mauve inside and bright orange anthers. The grass-like foliage displays narrow, median silvery stripes. Borne on sturdy stems, the flowers withstand wind and rain. The profuse flowering and spontaneous self-propagation make this crocus a very great choice for naturalizing. Great also planted in clusters at the front of borders or in patio pots.

Crocus x luteus 'Golden Yellow' is a vigorous, clump-forming crocus bearing large, bright golden flowers slightly dark striped at the base. Blooming occurs in early spring. The calyx-shaped flowers open only when the sun shines or when there is a lot of light; they close up in rainy weather and at night. Growing up to 4-6 inches tall (10-15 cm), this beauty naturalizes easily and will come back year after year!

Noted for its brilliant look, Galanthus nivalis Sandersii group is a slightly different Snowdrop which originates from Northumberland. It features dainty, nodding white flowers with a bright gold ovary which hangs from an arching, lime-green pedicel. The inner petals are attractively adorned with conspicuous golden-yellow dots. The blooms rise atop a foliage of narrow, gray-green leaves in late winter - early spring. Less vigorous and slower-growing than other Snowdrops.

Native to Central and Southern Europe as well as Turkey, Scilla bifolia (Alpine Squill) is one of the earliest spring bloomers, producing two strap-shaped, semi-erect basal leaves and 1 to 6 upright scapes, each of which is topped with a one-sided 2-10 flowered raceme of starry gentian-blue flowers. Blooming heartily from early to mid-spring, Alpine Squill is a beautiful and reliable addition to the landscape, where it will happily multiply in optimum growing conditions. A wonderful way to add a sea of color to the rock garden or the border front. Typically grows up to 3-6 in. tall (7-15 cm). Hardiness Zones: 3-8