Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
A small, woody sub-shrub, thyme has aromatic leaves and whorls of pink flowers in early summer. It is popularly used as an edging and between stones in walkways. It is also an excellent culinary herb.
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Perennials
Tiger Daylily
Hemerocallis fulva
This summer blooming perennial has strap-like leaves and large orange flowers. Because it naturalizes easily, this daylily can be commonly seen in roadside ditches and marking the sites of old outhouses.
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Valerian
Valeriana officinalis
This umbelliferous perennial is attractive to bees and other pollinators. It is mildly fragrant. Valerian is an excellent addition to the back of the garden and it reseeds readily.
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Virginia bluebell
Mertensia virginica
A harbinger of spring, emerging foliage is deep purple but quickly turns green, and is followed by terminal clusters of pendulous, trumpet-shaped blue flowers. Virginia bluebells will rapidly colonize in moist shady areas. They are herbaceous perennials, which means that foliage dies to the ground as the plant goes dormant towards mid-summer.
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Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A more delicate species than its red-flowered cousin, bergamot has lovely lavender flowers and a more graceful look. It is attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
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Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Wild columbines have dainty red and yellow flowers on long stems above clumps of bright green foliage. They self-seed reliably to form vigorous naturalized colonies.
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Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A native of the eastern U.S., this spreading woodland plant has sweet blue flowers, which look wonderful at the front of the spring border. They bloom at the same time as tulips, violas, and other early spring ephemerals.
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