April Blooms at Tryon Palace

Happy April! Spring has SPRUNG and boy is it beautiful here! The tulips and Lady Banks roses are magnificent, and every garden is filled with beautiful blooms and buds about to open! We’ve just added thousands of baby plants to the greenhouse this month, both in seed and plug form, and are so excited to see these in the gardens later this season! If you haven’t made it to see our gardens yet this spring, we’ve got some great upcoming opportunities!

We've also got TONS of awesome plants for sale at our Spring Plant Sale, April 12& 13 from 9am- 5pm on the Daves House lawn. We’ve got lots of in- house grown perennials, herbs, annuals, veggies, trees and shrubs, as well as other locally grown larger trees and shrubs If you aren’t sure what to buy, take a walk through our gardens during FREE Garden Lovers Weekend April 12-14 and come see us! Remember to come early as stock is limited (and Foundation members get in early)!

Pro tip- make sure you bring your list with you since our perennials are organized exactly the same way!

Get an exclusive sneak peek at the plants that will be available at the upcoming Tryon Palace Spring Plant Sale here.

As a future save the date- get ready for our May garden lecture series, Saturday, May 11th, features Bryce Lane presenting “You’re Not From Around Here: Gardening With Native & Exotic Plants.” There is a lot of conflicting information about using “native” plants in the home landscape. Did you know that there are at least 6 different definitions for the term, native plant? Which one is correct? What is the difference between a native, non-native, exotic, and a naturalized plant! Why is it important to know the differences? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using each kind in our landscapes? What should gardeners be choosing and using in their landscapes? This talk answers all these questions and more!

If you’re interested in a long term “behind the scenes” venture, we are looking for volunteers for raking, mulching, weeding, fence and trellis repair and MORE! It’s a great way to learn some gardening tips and tricks, especially for our area! If you’re interested in volunteering with us, please contact me at gardens@tryonpalace.org.

We hope to see you soon! Happy Gardening,

Hadley Cheris, Director of Facilities and Gardens, Tryon Palace

Annuals

Sweet William (red) provides nice florettes while also maintaining a carpet of green foliage
  • Artemisia Sea Salt
  • Batchelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus) blue, black, purple
  • Dianthus- Super Parfait Raspberry, Zing Rose; Jolt Pink Magic; Jolt Cherry; Jolt Purple; Venti Parfait Blueberry Eye
  • Dusty Miller ‘Silver Dust’
  • Flowering Kale “Redbor” “Crane Red” “Black Magic"
  • Gazania ‘Tiger Mix’, ‘Pink Shades’, ‘Colorado’, ‘Sunny Side Up’, ‘New Magic’, ‘New Day Yellow’, ‘Enorma Mix’
  • Johnny-jump-up (Viola tricolor) purple and yellow
  • Mustard “Japanese Giant Red” (Brassica juncea)
  • Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) Snaptastic Mix- various; Snapshot White; Sonnet White
  • Stipa ‘Pony Tails’
  • Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus): Telstar Mix; Sweet White, Sweet Black Cherry
  • Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’
  • Violas: Color Max Mix Lemonberry; Sorbet XP Spring Select

Perennials

Helleborus x iburgensis 'Moondance' blooming in the Stanly Garden.. probably my single favorite year round plant we have on the entirety of our 21 acre site!
  • Amsonia (Amsonia tabernaemontana and A. hubrichtii) blue, lavender
  • Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea montana)
  • Barrenwort (Epimedium grandiflorum) yellow
  • Bath’s Pink (Dianthus gratianopolitanus) pink
  • Bears foot Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) yellowish
  • Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia) pink/white
  • Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) blue
  • Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) white
  • Cape Leadwort (Plumbago capensis) blue
  • Carnation (Dianthus sp.) various
  • Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) red/yellow
  • Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia numularia) yellow foliage
  • Creeping Speedwell (Veronica umbrosa) blue
  • Lenten Rose (Helleborus X orientalis) pink, white, purple
  • Moondance Hybrid Lenten Rose (Helleborus x iburgensis ‘Moondance’) white
  • Mazus (Mazus reptans ‘alba’) white
  • Mountain pinks (Phlox subulata) pink, lavender, white
  • Ornamental Grasses (Various)
  • Pinks (Dianthus chinensis) pink
  • Poet’s Laurel (Danae racemes) orange berries
  • Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) pink
  • Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) red, white, pink
  • Wallflowers (Cheiranthus allionii) orange
  • Wild Geranium (Geranium pratense) magenta
  • Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) white, pastels
  • Vinca (Vinca minor) blue

Bulbs, Corms and Rhizomes

March is made for BULBS! Clockwise from top right- Daffodil, Hyacinth, Paperwhites, Algerian Iris
  • Arum italicum spotted foliage
  • Bearded Iris “Immortality” white, reblooming
  • Cemetery Iris (Iris schreekuppe) white
  • Daffodils, Jonquils and Paperwhites (Narcissus sp) yellows, white
  • Daffodil Poeticus Actaea, Double Flower Drift, Double Sir Winston Churchill
  • Dutch Iris (Iridaceae x hollandica)
  • Dwarf Iris: Mixed, “J S Dijt”, danfordiae purples, yellows, whites
  • German or Bearded Iris (Iris germanica) white, purple, yellow, assorted
  • Gladiolus specie byzantinus Pink
  • Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) blue
  • Ground Orchid (Bletilla striata) purple; white
  • Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) Jan Bos, Marie, Pink Pearl, Blue Jacket- pink, white, purple
  • Lady Jane Tulip- white and pink (Tulipa clusiana)
  • Marjoletti Tulip- yellow and orange
  • Paperwhite Narcissus (Narcissus papyraceus) white
  • Poppy Anemone (Anemone coronaria De Caen) various
  • Ranunculus Tecelote- orange, yellow, red, white
  • Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) white, green
  • Snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum) white
  • Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica) blue
  • Starflower (Ipheion uniflorum) blue-white (Stinky)
  • Tulips: Single Lates: Mix, Queen of the Night, Maureen, Maureen, Renown
  • Tulip bakerii Lilac Wonder (pink)
  • Tulip batalinii Bright Gem (yellow)
  • Wood Hyacinth (Scilla campanulata) blue; white
  • Windflower (Anemone coronaria) blue, magenta, white

Vines

Wisteria
  • Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) yellow *TOXIC TO HONEY BEES*
  • Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata) cream color blooms, smells like chocolate
  • Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) orange/ red, NATIVE attractant for hummingbirds
  • Lady Banks Rose (Rosa banksiae) yellow
  • Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) white, purple

Trees and Shrubs

Flowering Almond is a beautiful fuzzy pink blooming shrub that shows off in spring!
  • Glossy Abelia (Abelia grandiflora) pink, white
  • Anise Tree (Illicium floridanum) reddish
  • Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) white
  • Azaleas (Rhododendron sp.) Variety sizes and colors
  • Blackhaw or Walter Viburnum (Viburum obovatum)
  • Bridal Wreath (Spirea prunifolia) white
  • Camellia (Camellia japonica) cultivars:

‘Pink Perfection’ pink, double

‘Professor Sargent’ deep rose, double

‘Debutante’ clear, light pink

‘Lady Clare’ carmine rose, semi-double

‘Alba plena’ white with pink cast

‘Lovely Surprise’ pink

‘Dr. Tinsley’ pink, semi-double

  • Carolina Silverbell (Halesia caroliniana) creamy white
  • Chinese Mahonia (Mahonia fortunei) yellow blooms, blue berries
  • Chinese Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum ‘Sterile’) green to white
  • Crabapple (Malus sieboldii) pink
  • Deutzia (Deutzia sp.) white
  • Dogwood (Cornus florida) white
  • Elderberry (Sambucus sp.) white
  • First Breath of Spring or Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) white
  • Flowering Almond (Prunus glandulosa) pink, fuzzy
  • Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) apricot pink, red
  • Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenia) fuzzy white
  • Fragrant Osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) yellow **Smells AMAZING**
  • Fringe Flower (Loropetalum chinense) white, pink
  • Fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) white
  • Himalayan Sweetbox (Sarcococca hookerana) white, black drupe
  • Hollies (Ilex sp.): white/ cream blooms
  • Japanese Fatsia (Fatsia japonica) green to black berries
  • Judd’s Viburnum (Viburnum judii) pink, fragrant
  • Kerria (Kerria japonica pleniflora) Double yellow
  • Kerria (Kerria japonica) single yellow
  • Lantaphyllum (Viburnum X rhytidophylloides ‘Alleghany’) white
  • Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) pink to white: STINK
  • Leatherleaf Viburnum (Viburnum rhytophyllum) white
  • Lilac “Bloomerang Dark Purple” (Syringa x) purple
  • Magnolia ‘Inspiration (Magnolia laevifolia (syn. yunnanensis) ‘Inspiration’) white with yellow center
  • Old Blush Rose (Rosa chinensis) pink
  • Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) brown
  • Pearlbush (Exochorda racemosa) white
  • Japanese Pieris (Pieris japonica) white
  • Pomegranate (Punica granata) reddish fruit, coral blooms
  • Redbud (Cercis canadensis) fuchsia
  • Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
  • Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) small white
  • Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) purple
  • Sassafras (Sassafras officinale) chartreuse
  • Tea plant (Camellia sinenses) white/yellow
  • Vanhoutte Spirea (Spirea vanhouttei) white

Wildflowers/ Bee Food

  • Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) lavender
  • Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) yellow

Kitchen Garden:

  • Apple, Pear, Cherry & Peach Trees: pink to white.
  • Beets, carrots, lettuce, mustards, kale, parsley, Swiss chard, spinach, arugula, fava beans, artichoke, cardoon, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, collards
  • Cover crops: white and crimson clover, oats, rye, vetch, peas
  • Transitioning to summer crops after mid- April last frost date