Early Spring Alyssums

One of the first color crops we bring out is the Alyssum. People don’t know much about it in general, because it is overlooked by the industry. Alyssum is not hugely popular today, but it was very popular several generations ago. It provides a low and very dense carpet of color—one of its common names is ‘Carpet of Snow’ because white is the most popular color.

White is only one of the many shades available. We actually like alyssums because they are very cold tolerant and offer such a wide range of bright, cheery colors. They withstand a hard frost and still keep their flowers, so they are good plants to put in the ground even when a chance of snow or frost is in the forecast.

White

Alyssums deserve merit because in the early spring they offer an alternative to pansies and violas, and they complement pansies and violas as well. You can place them along the front border or in a ring with the pansies in the center.

Lemonade

“Set the canvas” with alyssums—they spread out easily to fill those in-between spaces. Once you have carpeted an area with white alyssums, place some taller bulbs to pop up through for that Ice Cream Garden look.

Peach

Blooms just keep coming all spring, all summer and all autumn long. Only in the very heat of the summer will they slow down, but even then the plants will continue to flower.

Deep Rose

There are many series of alyssum out there, but the Easter Bonnet series is the best of the batch because it has the best habit and the earliest blooms. Look to it for the classic white carpet, but consider the pastels (Peach, Lemonade) and dark hues (Violet, Deep Rose) as well, for added interest. There is also a Formula Mix that combines all the colors into a single tray.

Violet

We grow alyssums in 1203 flats, 4.5-inch and 6-inch pots. You can place orders for alyssums now, and they will ship in volume throughout March. We will also have several crops ready in late April through May.