People seem to associate spring with nature more than any other time of year.

Granted, summer and autumn provide a show-stopping display of fabulous flora, but spring brings people outdoors again. It’s a time of renewal. A time to reap the gratification of planting a bulb last fall. A time to watch in awe as perennials send up yet another round of new green shoots.

I thought it might be interesting to ask a few longtime Lawrence residents what they most anticipated to sprout, flourish, leaf out and blossom with the onset of each new growing season. The responses were as varied as the Kansas landscape.

The iris

Monika Eichler, a social work researcher and Lawrence resident for 11 years, has a particular fondness for the iris, especially in large bunches.

“As I walk down the hill on the KU campus, near Twente Hall and the journalism building, there are many irises to be witnessed growing out of our dear earth. It is a sight to behold,” she says. “And passing by when the wind is just right, there is sweet aroma that pervades my olfactory sense in a way that makes my heart sing and makes me feel so thrilled to be alive at that very moment.”

Redbuds and dogwoods

Iris

Bruce Chladny, horticulture agent at K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County, admires showy spring trees. Redbuds and dogwoods are his favorites, and he prefers them in groups.

“The past couple of years these two trees have made an impression on me as we travel to central Missouri to visit family,” Chladny says. “The hardwood-covered Ozark Mountains are full of these two natives. And when they are in full bloom before the leaves of the oaks, hickories and walnuts are leafed out – wow!”

He says the trees flourish especially well on east- or south-facing slopes.

“I might not suggest planting too many dogwoods as they are happier under a canopy of mature, taller trees,” he advises. “But when possible, instead of planting a single tree, try massing them in groups of three, four or five.”

Karen Pendleton, co-owner of Pendleton’s Country Market and an area resident for 25 years, shares Chladny’s love of the redbud, but her reason is as emotional as it is aesthetic.

Lupine

“About 10 years ago, my kids and I were driving past Oak Hill Cemetery when the redbuds were coming into bloom. It was beautiful,” she recalls. “I said to the kids, ‘When I die, I want a redbud by my grave because they are so beautiful in the spring.’ And then I added, ‘And if you could also plant a Sarah Bernhardt peony, that would be great.’

Pendleton didn’t think any more about her request until about three weeks later, when her mother- and father-in-law asked if she’d seen her redbud tree.

“The kids had told them about my comments, and they all went out and planted a redbud on our future plot in the cemetery,” she says. “I wasn’t sure how I should take this at first, but now I’m thrilled there will be a mature redbud there when it’s time for me to go”

Hellebores

Pat Lechtenberg and Mary Olson, both Douglas County Master Gardeners and longtime Lawrencians, are quite fond of the hellebores. I must say I share their opinion.

In my opinion, this underused and often unknown flower is a must in every Kansas garden. It has hardy rose-shaped blooms in red, pink and deep purple with a soft green glow that emerges as the blooms start to dry. They make wonderful cut flowers for bouquets.

Hellebores

Lechtenberg discovered them quite by chance, while visiting a friend in London during the winter.

“While they don’t have the ice and snow of winter we experience, nonetheless it was gray and dreary,” she says. “I was captivated by the nodding greenish-white flowers on a large clump of green foliage. It was my introduction to hellebores.”

She planted a couple of varieties when she returned home.

“I enjoy them every winter, and the blooms last a long time,” she says. “I have the Lenten rose rather than the Christmas rose varieties, but that will be my next addition.”

Anemones and lupine

Crystal Miles, horticulture manager for Lawrence Parks and Recreation, gets to see her favorite spring arrivals scattered throughout the city. Among them are the anemone sylvestris (“Snowdrop”) found near the entrance to the Douglas County Senior Center, 745 Vt.

“They are considered rabbit- and deer-resistant, so (they) hold up well in backyards and park areas,” Miles says. “Another unusual perennial is the Carolina lupine found at 23rd and Mass. on the west side. It is a long-lived perennial with a yellow spike flower that does well in partial shade and looks especially striking in the morning mist.”

Redbud

Tulips and hyacinths

Deanell Tacha, chief judge of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and a longtime Lawrence resident, recalls Easter celebrations going hand-in-hand with her favorite spring perennials.

“I absolutely love the spring tulips and hyacinths,” she says. “They remind me of Easters long ago when we hid and found Easter eggs in my parents’ yard, and then my dad always got corsages for my mother and all of us girls. There are four of us.

“Mother insisted that we wear Easter hats and frilly pastel dresses, so the tulips and hyacinths were just part of the scene.”

Lilacs

Real estate agent Charles Gruber, who’s lived in Lawrence for 35 years, finds great encouragement in the lilac’s ability to withstand and prosper in an often unpredictable Kansas blooming season. He has two lilac bushes in his yard.

“The one in front always blooms a week before the one in back,” he says. “Every year I get a strong appreciation for the courage of these luscious blossoms. Nearly every spring, one of them succumbs to the frost, but the other one survives.

“And its gift to us is a scent that brings back memories of my childhood in Connecticut. I knew I could put a smile on my mother’s face when I brought her a bouquet of lilacs. Maybe this’ll be the year both bushes bloom and I’ll remember, twice, the smile I cherished.”