Spring flowers and bulbs for a fresh garden

As the weather warms up, the plants in your garden are ready to show off their flower power. Here are some planting suggestions to bring gorgeous spring flowers to bloom in your garden .

Life is abundant in spring; birds are building nests, insects are buzzing around and plants are growing at a rapid rate, as the increased temperatures warm the soil and as the sun shines for longer periods. Spring is a time for flowers, whether on trees, shrubs, climbers, groundcovers or bulbs. If you're a beginner when it comes to flowers in spring, read on...

So which plants are best for adding some colour to your garden in spring?

Spring bulbs - that bloom in spring - include agapanthus (African lily), with its blue or white flower clusters; arum lily (also called Lily of the Nile), which has a dainty white outer flower curled around an inner spear of yellow; Dicentra Bleeding Heart, with its hanging pink flowers; Polygonatum Solomons Seal, which also has beautiful hanging flowers; and white liliums.

Planting bulbs for spring is something that needs planning, as they need to lie dormant for several months before exploding into life as the soil warms up. So if you haven't already got your spring bulbs in the ground, plants are the next best thing until next spring!

What about Australian native flowering plants?

Many Australian natives flower right through the winter and a number carry on into spring. For flowers in spring, trees may not come to mind but some, such as Eucalyptus caesia (common name gungurru) and Eucalyptus sideroxylon (red ironbark) produce gorgeous large pink flowers.

Wattles like Acacia cultriformis (knife-leaf wattle) and Acacia floribunda (gossamer wattle) are two other native trees that bring magnificent colour to spring gardens, both producing beautiful yellow blossoms.

Shrubs like grevilleas, of which there are many varieties and which produce red, pink and orange spring flowers, are a popular spring native. And native groundcovers like Dampiera linearis (common dampiera), which has dainty yellow and blue flowers, ensure that the ground is covered in gorgeous colour.

And if I want a splash of exotic colour in my garden?

If exotic plants are more your thing, try lilacs, rhododendrons, jasmines, daisies, marigolds, hyacinths, Mexican orange blossoms or camellias. These plants all feature colourful blooms that thrive in spring conditions.

Whether you opt for native or exotic spring flowers and flowering plants, all plants will benefit from careful soil preparation. Adding some organic matter to your soil will provide nutrients while aerating the soil and increasing its ability to retain water. Natives generally prefer low-phosphorus soils, while exotics benefit from adding a high-nitrogen fertiliser to the soil, like blood and bone.

Bulbs enjoy well-drained soil with a healthy amount of organic matter in it. Some prefer certain conditions such as direct sunlight or light shade. Ask your local nursery or horticultural consultant for advice on which bulbs will work in your garden, and while you're there, ask them for some tips on bringing gorgeous flowers in spring to your garden: