Shrubs are easy to care for and indispensable as spring flowers in the garden and on the balcony. The shrubs in the garden look best in combination with plants that are evergreen. Find out which is the right tree for you and how the flowering shrubs develop.
Experience spring with early bloomers — get to know the classics!
Enjoy the expressive spring flowers in bright yellow, soft pink or bright white. With the hardy shrubs, blooming islands can be created quickly and easily on the balcony, terrace and in the garden . Even with a balcony, you can conjure up early bloomers on your balcony by creating planters or a raised bed for convenient gardening.
Properly selected and planted, you can experience the fresh green year after year with early bloomers and offer many insects the first source of food at an early stage . Many types of garden shrubs are ideal for natural gardens and ideal in combination with perennials, evergreens, trees and annual plants.
Choosing the right phylloxera for your balcony or garden
Find out what needs to be considered when planting and caring for flowering shrubs and which ornamental trees should not be missing in any garden. Choose from the variety of spring bloomers and decide which hardy variety suits your garden depending on the flower colour, growth height and location. Get to know classic hardy shrubs below and find out what needs to be considered .
The ornamental trees listed are all hardy, easy to care for and resistant to diseases and pests. With the right selection, you can enjoy flowering shrubs, as well as flowering bushes, for many months. The flowering shrubs are particularly beautiful as mixed hedges, flowering bushes or as privacy screens . Alternating with an evergreen shrub, the flowering shrubs appear more intense .
In our online shop and in the garden center you will find beautiful early bloomers. Hardy, easy to care for and hardy — ideal for everyone who doesn’t want to invest much time in care. Hardy shrubs are ideal for this.
The following early flowering shrubs are suitable for mixed hedges: boxwood, cherry laurel, bamboo, privet or conifers. Depending on the type, 1 to 3 pieces are set per meter. An advantage here is that the evergreen plant is opaque even in winter . In our blog post «Blooming trees and shrubs in winter» you can find out everything you need to know about winter flowering plants . Plant flowering shrubs now and enjoy the wide variety of perennial plants .
Forsythia — early bloomers with unique luminosity
This early bloomer is very popular because of its flower color and is an absolute classic. With a good long -distance effect, the shrub shines with yellow flowers for many weeks and makes the garden shine . In addition to the classic ‘Week End’ flowering shrub variety, there is also the ‘Goldrausch’ variety, which is striking because of its large flowers and is sure to bloom on one-year-old wood.
For small gardens, dwarf varieties are available as special features, these grow to a maximum height of 150 cm, but are identical in terms of care and luminosity. After Hamamelis Intermedia, forsythia is the second tree that makes the garden shine with intense yellow throughout the year. You can plant the hardy plants individually or integrate them into flowering hedges. Flowering shrubs such as forsythia are best combined with bloodcurrants or spirea and planted with groundcover.
Botanical name:
Forsythia x intermedia
growth height:
up to 3m
growth form:
young plants tend to grow upright, older plants develop arching, overhanging branches.
Location:
sunny-half-shady
heyday:
late February to early April
Particularities:
- The color of the flowers symbolizes the beginning of spring
- Twigs are good for pruning
- is ideal as a solitary plant or for flowering hedges
- Growth height can be easily limited by pruning
- absolutely hardy
Our gardening tip: Cut off the oldest shoots after flowering. With this thinning cut, you encourage the plants to sprout again and prevent the hardy shrubs from aging — important for a rich abundance of flowers next year.
Caring for forsythia
Find out in our Plants AZ how to care for, cut and propagate forsythia.
Cultivate forsythia
Flowering shrubs – hardy & decorative: bloodcurrants with lush flower clusters
The shrub, also known as ornamental currant, is undemanding and grows easily without much care. The robust early flowering plants have a harmonious structure and a large number of flowers . The flower color of the flowering shrubs in spring is unique and extremely effective with flower clusters hanging up to 8 cm.
Botanical name:
Ribes sanguineum ‘King Edward VI’
growth height:
1.5 — 2.5m
growth form:
Young, early-blooming plants grow straight, older plants grow sprawling.
Location:
sunny
heyday:
April
Particularities:
- Flowers and leaves give off a pleasant scent
- Ideally suited for a solitary position or in flowering hedges
- the decorative flowers serve as a valuable food source for beneficial insects
- decorative after flowering with dark green leaves
- very hardy
the soil should be loose and humus-rich, avoid waterlogging if possible . Our gardening tip: The bright red flowers appear even more intense when planted near white walls . The colorful ornamental shrub also looks great in combination with the yellow-flowering forsythia or as a hedge.
Caring for bloodcurrants — plants AZ
In our plants AZ you will learn everything about bloodcurrants
Caring for blood currant
Early-flowering shrubs such as Spiraea with enchanting white panicles of flowers
This enchanting flowering shrub is aptly known as panicle vine. The lush abundance of flowers with long panicles poses like a veil . This spring bloomer is elegant and robust at the same time — a classic in the spring garden with a long flowering period and expressive growth.
Many other flowering shrubs belong to this plant family and vary in flower color and flowering time. Some garden shrubs delight with their fragrance, other shrubs of the species fascinate with red and yellow foliage in autumn, while other shrubs with a growth height of 20 cm are ideal plants for the tub garden.
Botanical name: Spiraea x cinerea ‘Grefsheim’
Growth height: 1.5 to 2 m
Growth habit: dense with overhanging twigs, older early flowering plants grow sprawling.
Location: sunny
Flowering time: April to May
Particularities:
- well tolerated by cuts
- ideal as a shrub in the garden for a solitary position or flowering hedges
- small shrub
you can plant them in large containers on balconies and terraces . Our gardening tip: It is important to cut back after flowering. Older shoots are cut off at the base and the plant is rejuvenated . If necessary, further shoots can be shortened in length. With the cut you promote the willingness to bloom in the coming year and help the plant to develop harmoniously .
Filled snowball — a spring bloomer enchants with lush flowers
This early bloomer adorns the garden with grandiose flower balls for many weeks. At the end of spring , the large, double flowers of these garden shrubs inspire and can also shine as cut flowers in the house in the classic white arrangement . But the snowball also goes well in colorful bouquets. The easy-care plant has a good long-distance effect with a long flowering period. When the flowers fade, they turn slightly pink and thus achieve another attractive appearance .
Botanical name: Viburnum opulus Roseum Height of growth: 2.5 — 3.5 m Growth habit: harmonious in structure and loose in shape Location: sunny-semi-shady Flowering period:
May June
Particularities:
-
- as a large shrub, the double snowball sets special accents in the garden
- are ideal for use as cut flowers and enjoy a long shelf life indoors
- ideal for solitary position , but also suitable for mixed hedges
- Grows differently than the evergreen representatives of the species Viburnum
in autumn the leaves turn bright red . Our gardening tip: The double snowball is absolutely easy to care for . A pruning is only necessary to promote the harmonious structure. If necessary , cut back immediately after flowering. Mainly remove the faded flowers and thin shoots.
Blood Plum — High contrast early bloomer with dark red foliage
The blood plum fits expressively into every garden situation and forms an excellent contrast to the surroundings. From the time they sprout in May until well into autumn, the blood plum shows itself with decorative red leaves . The ornamental shrub is ideal in combination with green-leaved plants.
Whether in a single position or in mixed plantings, early-flowering shrubs fit in everywhere. The dainty buds bring a delicate touch of color and Asian lightness even before the foliage . Another highlight in autumn is the delicious fruit to be harvested.
Botanical name: Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ Height: 3 — 4 m Growth habit: upright as a tree-like shrub with a crown Location: sunny Flowering time
March April
Particularities:
- juicy, red fruits appear on the bush in September
- the small, sweet-tasting fruits are easy to pick and versatile
- to limit the length, the blood plum can be cut back by a rejuvenation cut in February
- Leaf coloring intense red and not green
- the robust ornamental tree is a delight at any time of the year and can be used in a variety of ways
- the early bloomer forms a harmonious structure and sets accents in every garden
- Bee perennials that attract beneficial insects
- ideal for a sunny location
Our gardening tip: blood plums prefer deep and nutrient-rich soil. It is therefore important when planting that there is a sufficiently large planting hole and high-quality planting soil . In this way you give the hardy shrubs ideal growing conditions .
Rock pear — surprises with its versatile shape and delicious fruits
Numerous star-shaped flowers make the ornamental shrub appear like a white cloud in April . White flowering shrubs provide a nice contrast to the leaves that are sprouting at the same time.
Only a few weeks after the shrubs have flowered, blue-black fruits appear that are tasty for birds and humans. It is therefore important to protect the fruits in good time in order to be able to harvest the wild wood.
Cut the early bloomers only when necessary, even without pruning, the beautiful flowering shrub is shapely and harmonious all year round . The plant is also ideal for rough locations, because it is absolutely frost hardy and also tolerates dry locations.
Botanical name: Amelanchier lamarckii Height of growth: 3 — 4 m Growth habit: loose in structure, upright and over the years wider than tall Location: sunny-semi-shady Flowering period:
April
Particularities:
- Countless individual flowers bloom for weeks and give the species a unique abundance of flowers
- fascinating autumn colors in color nuances from orange to red
- suitable for solitary position or in hedges
- Bee perennials that attract wild bees and other beneficial insects
ideal for near-natural gardens and as a tree for feeding birds Our gardening tip: Over time, the ornamental tree takes on a harmonious growth habit. A cut is not necessary. Just remove the dry shoots on the plant regularly .
Caring for service pear trees – plants AZ
In our plants AZ you will learn everything about service pear trees.
Cultivate service pear
Lilac — one of the most well-known ornamental shrubs ever
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs in spring. As a deciduous tree, the classic needs the appropriate space to develop. Lilac is not suitable for small gardens, because an area of 2 to 3 square meters cannot prove its beauty.
From the end of April, the lilac enriches your garden with an unbelievable abundance of flowers and a unique fragrance. The fragrant blossoms of the upright tree can also be used for cutting.
At Plant-Kölle you will find early bloomers that are perfectly tailored to your needs. Hardy and undemanding for a spring garden! If you don’t have a garden but still want to bring spring to your balcony, there is also the option of buying a raised bed.