White Dogwood In Bloom
The natural wonder of spring is now on display. A new season unfolding brings gratitude and joy with its signs of hope and new life. Enjoy The Village Green, an expansive blooming sanctuary in the heart of Cashiers. Springtime in the mountains is a lovely time of year. The days grow longer and warmer, waking up what has been dormant during the winter. The Village Green features a variety of flowering trees and garden blooms beginning in March extending through June.
In the fall of 2019, The Village Green participated in the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce Daffodil Initiative, planting more than 200 bulbs throughout the park. Typical bloom time is March through April for these yellow flowers with nodding heads. They can be spotted along the walking path near the Gazebo and at the entrance to The Village Green Commons on Frank Allen Road. You can find other spring blooms in the Hayes Fairchild Memorial Garden, including the delicate clusters of Grape Hyacinth.
The Village Green has a number of flowering trees such as Cherry (March), Redbud (March-April), Pink and White Dogwood (April-May), Star Magnolia (April), Serviceberry (March-May), and Silver Bells (April-May). Somehow it doesn’t really feel like spring until the Dogwoods begin to flower and leaf out! The Kousa Dogwood trees, sometimes called “wolf eye” dogwood for the shape of their leaves bloom May-June. In fact, the white “petals” like other Dogwood trees aren’t really petals but modified leaves called bracts that surround the small greenish-yellow flowers.
Azaleas are spring-flowering shrubs that display mostly pink in the park, except the orange native Flame Azalea. They bloom in April Rhododendron are another spring shrub that flower in April and May. They are a member of the mountain Laurel family that bloom throughout spring and summer.
Other perennials will soon begin to appear with warmer days. Wild iris and the ever-popular royal blue (almost purple) lupine blooms near the entrance to The Village Green Commons. Lupine is a mountain version of Texas Bluebonnet that attracts native pollinators such as beautiful butterflies like the yellow Tiger Swallowtail.
Annuals will be planted in May. Staying true to the long-time Farmer’s Almanac adage to not “plant until after Mother’s Day,” we will have to wait a little longer for favorites like zinnias, These flowers add color and interest that we can look forward to as spring unfolds.
Come visit The Village Green, stroll the paths throughout the park, and relish the springtime blossoms.
