Wait for it...Wait for it...
A constant sense of anticipation is one of the things I love about living in the mountains. "When will the first snow fall?" "How many days are you going to ski this year?" "How long will the snow last?" "How many days of fishing can we get in before the river rises?" "Will it ever be green again?!" My first day out on the trail was a resounding YES!
The overpowering attack on the senses shifting from freeze, white and brown to intense green draped with purple clematis set to the score of birdsong and babbling brooks was well worth waiting for. In the wild, we are wowed by groves of quaking aspen, a hidden patch of pure white columbine or bursting fields of wildflowers. Would we feel this way if it looked the same 365 days a year? Living in a climate with changing seasons is one dramatic way to experience this wait/reward. But no matter where you live, you can bring this sense of amazement into your own landscaped world by being willing to wait, mimicking nature's timing and resisting the temptation for instant color.
Using a complementary blend of interesting shrubs and perennial plants instead of annuals creates a garden that is ever-changing. And for those of us who tend to be absent-minded and not remember what we planted before the snow fell, a garden full of surprises! The well designed garden will have early spring blossoms that overlap with mid spring blossoms before fading away, continuing this game of blossom tag through fall with weeks of overlap in between.
Returning year after year (voles and extreme freezes not withstanding), perennials have bloom times anywhere from 1 week to over 4 weeks. Since they only bloom when nature dictates, patience is a major ingredient in the perennial garden. In our mountain zone 3 or 4, some years the first blooms won't be until late May and even in early June garden beds are yet to be full. Wait for it...wait for it...
When you use perennials instead of annuals, the planet will thank you too. The plastic container for a perennial will give you a plant that will last at least 7 years and most likely a decade or more. Annuals are, well, annual, giving up for good at the end of the season. So keep the annuals in the pots and baskets, or not, and enjoy the rewards of a lasting spring/summer/fall garden for years to come, with some good planning and...
patience.
Above, Snowdrops give way to Columbine as spring moves along. Below, Mid summer Penstemon is hanging on as later summer Echinacea and Rudbeckia enter their peak.