Nothing beats lawns covered in bright pink woodland crocus, sunny yellow winter aconite and clean white snowdrops. This time of year early geophytes (bulbs, corms and rhizomes) are a breath of fresh air from the old chill of late winter, and many naturalize of their own accord in a pleasing non-invasive manner, which amplifies their welcome color.  Here are a few must haves for the spring lawn. 

Eranthis hymalis, otherwise known as winter aconite, is a pretty golden-flowered ephemeral from the buttercup family. It's one of the earliest of spring flowers and often appears as early as February. These spread easily and make the biggest impression when planted along a south facing hillside. When they bloom they blanket the ground with gold. 

The drooping green and white flowers of snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) look like skirted ladies. They tend to cluster and spread slowly but once established they form random sweeps of green and white across the lawn. They look particularly beautiful when interplanted with colorful crocus or winter aconite.

There are lots of really great crocus species and cultivars suited for naturalizing. One of the best is Crocus tommasinianus, or the woodland crocus. Its small pale rose or purple flowers rise from the ground like delicate chalices.  One can attain a sweep of these crocus easily because their corms spread quickly and they are generally inexpensive.

The royal blue blooms of Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) and glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa luciliae) appear in mid to late March. Close up these three to four inch plants have flowers that look like tiny bluebells. Their bulbs spread very quickly and are easy to find in the trade. The loveliest cultivar is ‘Spring Beauty’, which has very deep blue flowers. 

At an average of $20.00 a plant, Adonis amurensis is the most expensive of all the geophytes listed,but it is amazingly beautiful while in bloom. This Asian native has lovely, intricate golden flowers that will be sure to draw attention from passers by. Plants spread slowly over time and are best naturalized in smaller areas.

All of these geophytes should be planted in fall, and most bulb vendors offer them for sale. For the best head start, distribute an ample number randomly across the area you are trying to colonize. These beauties are here today and gone tomorrow, so let them trumpet "spring!" in big, bold sweeps. Next spring you’ll be glad you did.

Definitions:

Ephemeral: Plants that emerge and bloom for only a few weeks in the spring--generally before the leaves of deciduous trees have emerged.

Geophyte: a perennial plant that spreads by underground bulbs, corms or tubers.

Corm: a small rounded, thickened, underground stem in which food is stored.

Tips: Naturalize your spring geophytes under trees. They always emerge before the trees leaf out, so they will get plenty of sun. After planting, be sure to give your geophytes a good headstart by feeding them bulb food.