By Sarina Dellinger
For the Salisbury Post

The rain this winter has seemingly been relentless. Here at Hurley Park, we do not have any true rain gardens installed, but nonetheless, all of our gardens are starting to feel like rain gardens. Even in the midst of the cool, drab, rainy days spring is still trying to ‘spring forward’ in the gardens.

The promise of warmer days lies in the foliage of tulips, trillium and hyacinth beginning to emerge from the soil. Lenten roses (Helleborus sp.) are abundant across the park and are fully in bloom, a nodding sign that spring is on the way. While walking the pathways you may notice crocus flowers ranging from white to yellow to purple along the garden edges. These low-growing early blooms are a welcome sight in a brown winter landscape. Looking upwards the early blooms of flowering apricot (Prunus mume) implore you to notice them with their scented, pink blooms on bare stems.

The witchhazel ‘Pallida’ (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Pallida’) in Priscilla’s Fragrance Garden welcomes visitors to the park with an abundance of spidery yellow blooms. Looking down into the annex portion of the park is another yellow shrub, the Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), a welcome sight of early spring. These early flowers are also a welcome sight to pollinators that begin to emerge on warm days.

In the late winter landscape it is so easy to appreciate the beauty springing forward before the big flush of true spring. If you can manage a walk in the park between the rain, you will surely be delighted in the beauty that abounds.

If you have questions about Hurley Park or how to book an event, please give us a call at 704-638-5298. Stay up to date with what’s happening at Hurley Park by following us on Facebook or Instagram @HurleyParkNC. To view a map or donate to Hurley Park, go to  our website at salisburync.gov/hurleypark.

Sarina Dellinger is public gardens manager for Salisbury Parks and Recreation.