Ina Garten just gave us a peak inside her early spring garden on Instagram, and it’s already flourishing with blooms of leucojum and yellow magnolia.
“I'm loving all the little surprises of Spring! #leucojum #yellowmagnolia,” Garten wrote in the caption of her post.
And a look at the comment section confirms that everyone else does, too. Dozens of users wrote about their own experiences with yellow magnolia and leucojum, from their wedding bouquets to their mother’s gardens.
“I used to crawl under a neighbors hedge and pick at least one,” one wrote. “She would have taken her broom to me if she knew.”
There are plenty of reasons to grow leucojum, also known as the Summer Snowflake. Their delicate and sweet appearance adds a touch of elegance to an outdoor space, and since they’re early bloomers, they’re known as the harbingers of spring. Plus, they have a relatively long blooming period, so they provide weeks of beauty without too much maintenance. Plus, they're deliciously fragrant and attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. In folklore, leucojum flowers are connected with purity, innocence, and hope—establishing your garden as a place of calm and serenity (and maybe even a hub for manifestation).
If you want to grow leucojum in your own garden, choose a spot with partial shade to full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Their bulbs need to be planted at least 3 to 4 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart, so you’ll need some space. Other than that, they’re pretty easy-going plants—they don’t need excessive fertilization or staking. Simply don’t overcrowd them or underwater them, and you should have a collection of thriving flowers in no time.
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I have grown alliums for their stunning architectural form for years, but one is by far my favorite: ‘Ambassador’. Although its bulb is related to garlic, onions, and shallots, this ornamental garden variety is a show-stopper. There are many other allium cultivars out there, ranging in size, color, and form, but ‘Ambassador’ rises to the top of my list for a lot of reasons.
At the back of the house, Adirondack chairs are placed beside a border with a small standard wisteria, a box spiral and purple Iris ‘Art Deco’ set off by lime-green euphorbia. An unknown red rose on the wall is from Mark Rumary’s 1960s scheme.
Today we’re exploring more of Jay Sifford‘s lesser-seen back garden. We’ve toured and featured the award-winning landscape designer’s immaculate stylized meadow front garden, but now we’re wondering why the blooming bogs at the back of his home aren’t getting more attention.
Pale brick pavers, laid in a herringbone pattern, run from the open-plan ground floor out into the garden, creating a seamless transition between the two spaces.
It’s always a treat when award-winning landscape designer Jay Sifford sends in photos of his fabulous home garden in the mountains of North Carolina. Today, we have an extra-special treat:
Winter is for enjoying time in your home, and summer is for enjoying time in your yard. But shoulder seasons—fall and spring—are for preparation. In spring, we venture outdoors to nurseries and begin looking to fill our gardens with the best flowers and greenery the year has to offer.