Double bloodroot, native. This is an expensive plant, around $30 for each tiny plant! But if you are lucky, you may meet someone with a thriving established colony, who might divide a few off for you. That's where I got mine.

Double bloodroot, native.

Dwarf peach blossom.

Dwarf peach tree. Planted last year, not expecting fruit yet.

Peach tree (self-pollinating), pruned to manageable size each year. Planted several years ago; last year we had about a hundred delicious peaches. Bagging the peaches when they're green was key to keeping the squirrels from ravaging them, and only took about an hour.

Virginia bluebells (native) emerging. Will soon have beautiful blue flowers for a month in spring, thrives in part-shade or shade. Virginia bluebells can be used in borders or other beds but the dying foliage and blank spaces when dormant need to be addressed. Will die back and leave a gap for much of the year, but if interplanted with other shade-loving perennials, such as hosta, astilbe, bugbane (Cimicifuga racemosa), hosta, Solomon’s seal, twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) or ferns, these other plants will fill in the gaps later in the season.

Pulmonaria / lungwort, a terrific perennial ground cover, happiest in part-shade. Divided every 3-5 years for an ongoing supply; it's short-lived, so if you don't divide, they'll disappear after a while.

Pulmonaria / lungwort.

Pulmonaria / lungwort.

Pulmonaria / lungwort.

Jack Frost brunnera -- adore this perennial, which gives clouds of tiny blue flowers for months in spring. Happiest in full to part shade; in full sun, the leaves will scorch. Will spread if it's happy (moist soil helps), though in my experience, the babies may not have spotted leaves.

Good Earth (in Forest Park) claims this is a hardy perennial viola; we'll see if it comes back!

Ann dwarf magnolia, great specimen tree for a smaller garden.

Checkered fritillary, plant as bulbs in fall; returns year after year.

Checkered and white fritillary, plant as bulbs in fall.

Muscari / grape hyacinth, plant as bulbs in fall; returns year after year.

Muscari / grape hyacinth, plant as bulbs in fall.

Chionodoxa, plant as bulbs in fall, returns year after year. Also comes in pink. I scattered clover seed over the grass a month or so ago, and it looks like it's taking nicely; fingers crossed. Would be happy to have the entire front lawn turn over to clover instead of grass.

Thalia daffodil, a little smaller and more delicate than most, a lovely pure white.

Thalia daffodils.

Hyacinths (try cutting one and putting it in a vase in a small enclosed room, like a powder room -- it'll scent the whole space). Plant as bulbs in the fall.

Hyacinths and scilla. Plant as bulbs in the fall.

Windflower / anemone -- plant as bulbs in the fall.

Periwinkle / vinca minor. Can be aggressive and may crowd out natives. Blue flowers for months in spring, forms a dense mat that crowds out weeds. Happy in dry shade, including under trees.

Fritillaria persica, getting ready to bloom. Drama!

Tree peony emerging, with grafted peony also emerging below. I should dig them up and divide them, but am a little nervous. Maybe this year.

The hellebores are still going very strong.

Hellebores.

Hellebores.

Viburnum buds; will be blooming white soon, sweet-scented shrub, basically no care needed.

Forsythia, could use a little pruning, with daffodils below.

Redbud trees bloom along the stem; buds emerging now. Redbud blooms are edible; I made the syrup into a lovely ice cream last year, and also used it in cocktails. Pretty in salads and spring rolls.

Ranunculus in planter with hyacinths and pansies (new-planted, found at Empowering Gardens). If you want to try to save them for future years, you need to lift and store the corms; I haven't tried it.