Why Bloom Times Matter (and Not Just to You)

At the CGC, we take an ecological approach to gardening. That means the ecological function of a garden is as important as its aesthetics.

One important piece of ecological gardening is the bloom times of the plants in your garden: in other words, when during the season each plant produces blossoms. In an ideal world, something would always be blooming in your garden. This approach is good for everyone: It guarantees consistent color while also ensuring there’s s stable food source for the pollinators that call your garden home.

To build a garden that blooms from early spring to late fall requires getting to know your plants and learning a bit about their life cycles. Nurseries and the internet are great resources for this kind of information. Some plants bloom for a few days, while others keep blooming for weeks. Some plants bloom early in the season to attract specific pollinators, while others may wait to bloom until fall. The timing depends on the plant’s evolutionary history and which pollinators it relies on to reproduce.

Take some time to pay attention to the bloom times already in your yard. Then, the next time you’re looking to add or replace a plant in your garden, you can begin filling in the gaps.