Early Spring Planting Guide for Chapel Hill, NC (Zone 7)

Tulips & Daffodils? Plant in Fall.

For March planting, choose perennials and annuals that establish quickly:

Immediate Planting (March)

• Perennials: Salvia ‘May Night’, coneflower, Shasta daisy, sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, rudbeckia, phlox, bee balm, Russian sage, dianthus, catmint, lavender, verbena, veronica, aster, yarrow, cranesbill geranium.
• Annuals for instant color: Pansies, snapdragons, petunias, marigolds, zinnias.
• Evergreen structure: Dwarf junipers, boxwood, dwarf Alberta spruce.
• Ornamental grasses: Miscanthus, blue fescue.

Bed Preparation

1. Kill grass/weeds (glyphosate + black plastic).
2. Amend soil with compost, potting mix, perlite.
3. Plant in design layout; mulch heavily.
4. Install soaker hose.

Fall Bulb Planting

Plant tulips, daffodils, grape hyacinth, crocus in October–November for spring show.