Bouquets of (Yard) Flowers

Shared by Heather Gallagher
Naturalist at the Nature Center
heather.gallagher@nashville.gov

My husband and I are the “yard people” in our neighborhood. He works tirelessly every Saturday to cut and trim our shrubs and grass to make everything perfect.  

But there is still life in the yard, and this “staycation” has given me the opportunity to find it. 

He’s allowed me to plant a few natives, such as this coral honeysuckle, with the understanding that it will attract ruby-throated hummingbirds as it comes into full bloom in early April. And we have the redbud trees flowering this time of year, covered in early spring pollinators. 

We grow coral honeysuckle on a trellis as well as over the mailbox. 

Redbud trees are native, shrubby trees that will thrive in sun or shade.

We even have a few old timey shrubs that you would expect to find in any Tennessee yard: golden forsythia and budding-out sweet shrub. We also have irises—they came with the house.  

My grandmother grew Sweet Shrub/"Sweet Bubby" in her yard.

An Iris bed is almost a staple in any southern yard!

Much to my husband's dismay, we don’t treat our yard, and, therefore, we have what he considers to be “weeds”. So what really excited me this spring was exploring closely for these weeds or what I call yard wildflowers, those that typically disappear with that first mow of the year or weed killer. 

Four-petalled bluets are very common this time of year. They prefer acidic soil, and you may even find them growing in mossy areas. The more acidic the soil, the “bluer” the bluet! 

Look closely for Four-petalled Bluets in the mossy areas of your yard.

Field pansies are related to violets, and they grow in patches everywhere! I have observed almost pure white to purple, and everything in between; their variation is incredible.  

Field Pansies paint our yard white in early spring.

Common violets can be found in the shady areas usually. These are growing beneath a cherry tree in a marshy area.  

Common Blue Violets are wonderful flowers for early spring pollinators. 

So even if you can’t get out to your favorite park, take a hike around your backyard—or your front yard for that matter. Observe the flowers of your labors through small treasures that you don’t normally get to enjoy.