The spring gardening season is always full of anticipation and excitement here in New England. Although the average last frost date for USDA zone 6a has passed, it's still dropping into the low 40's at night. My garden beds are not filled to the brim with beautiful flowers yet, and the wait for blooms can seem like an eternity. The first flowers to bloom in my garden are usually crocus, hyacinth and daffodils. Once those flowers have finished blooming, it seems easy to enter into garden limbo. Everything is growing, but it's hard to find flowers that flourish and fill in this empty gap.

I have some personal favorites that help bridge this gap with color and growth during this time. These flowers need to be able to withstand some of the harsh elements. They need to hold up through heavy spring rainstorms, cool nighttime temperatures and an array of animals foraging for food that may include your foliage. I have put together a list of my top five favorite varieties of perennials and shrubs that will thrive in your springtime garden. It's Tuesdays in the Garden, so don't forget to scroll down after reading, and check out some other great spring flower guides!