This is the time of year when we cherish the first daffodil or tulip blooms.
We go gaga over the blooming magnolia trees.
We get all sorts of jacked up seeing the pansies blooming again.
They are all a reminder that the doldrums of winter are gone and better days lie ahead.
Good times.
However, for this goofball, the emerging foliage of my many perennials floats my boat more than anything else. Every morning is a chance to see what has developed overnight. New perennial foliage always looks so vibrant and healthy. No mildew to deal with yet. No crisping of foliage from days and days of dry weather.
It is all good.
As I surveyed my gardens today, I eyed up the daffodil blooms a bit but as expected, my focus was on foliage, foliage and more foliage. And here is a sampling for you: 
Heuchera ‘Blackout’ looking good, especially when backed by Summer Snowflake foliage: 
Sedum foliage always emerges so quickly and is a great foil to all other foliage it hangs out with:
The foliage color on Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’ never looks more … ummmm … red … than it does in early spring:
The Astilbe, always a personal fave:
Too much yellow foliage can permanently distort your vision, but Tradescantia ‘Sweet Kate’ is a tough SOB, so she gets to stick around:
Nepeta (Catmint) ‘Walker’s Low’ never lets me down and fills in bare spots almost overnight:
Lady’s Mantle will soon edge the bulk of one of my garden beds and I look forward to their emergence each and every year:
Call me crazy, but Monarda (Bee Balm) and their square stems and minty sent scream Spring to me:
How’s your foliage doin?
John
Looks like you’re getting a head start on us over here in Colorado. All of my perennials are starting to grow, but not as much as yours have! Jealous. I do have a TON of tulips about to bloom. Hopefully all the snow we got yesterday doesn’t keep them from doing so!
Hi John…
I agree about the foliage in the Spring…
But in the heat of Summer…
Nothing…but nothing…
Beats the sizzle of beautiful flower petals…
With a back drop of foliage, of course!!
Cheers!
Linda :o)
Everything does look idyllic this time of year. Was just weeding among the emerging bee balm this morning… smells great.
There are few things as divine as fresh spring foliage.
I am definitely a foliage gardener! I love the Nine Bark Diablo for this especially! Luminescent lime to bronze! Also love the Creeping Jenny’s day-glow yellow, the Husker Red, and the Japanese Maples but oddly I always find the red new growth of the Pierus to be a bit off?? Probably because it’s in with all the chartreuse, lol!
A fine set of photos ! Nothing packs promise like those early shoots !
John, I so agree with your love of foliage. The leaves are with us all Spring, Summer and Fall, the flowers come and go. I have built my garden design at Gardens at waters East, for the foliage during the warm months, and the pine and spruce for the Winter. Here along Lake Michigan, Winters can be long so the evergreens were essential for garden design when it snows, and as with you, the leaves and stems breaking forth in Spring – GREAT!
very pretty…but I must admit the tulips and daffodils and magnolias warm my heart.
A spring in the garden is a beautiful time:) I am greeting
I wholeheartedly agree. Each walk through the garden is so enjoyable when there are always new discoveries to enjoy.
John – Just ran across your blog, and you hooked me! I appreciate your wit and your acute observations, which definitely resonate with a guy (that would be me) whose passion outstrips his skills (if I can borrow your phrase.) The emerging foliage is doing well here in Maryland; as you say, it is full of promise and kindles our hopes that this season will be WAY better than last year! Thanks!
Flowers are fun but foliage is much longer lasting! Our plants are a little ahead of yours but once you start warming up more, your heat loving plants will outshine ours as our summers are fairly cool.
I’ve realized while I love something about each season, spring has been my favorite since I was a child. As an adult I thought maybe it was fall, I lived in a hot climate for 20 year so falls arrival was an amazing relief. Now I realize spring has always been my favorite – it is a stunning overload of color and the most tender leafs that I love to touch and the most beautifully scented flowers blooming all at once.
Geesh I got carried away. Love your spring pops!