Hooray--this is going to be fun! Initial thoughts for me:

April--zilch

May--

Forsythia--my first real bloomers. Some things might bloom before then, but they are just not noticeable. The forsythia bloom the same time the grass greens up, and it is spectacular.

Lilac--I have one. Really need more.

Gold Heart Dicentra--Can't say enough how the sun on these golden leaves make the garden glow, especially when surrounded by emerging hostas with gold/chartreuse in their leaves.

'Blue Moon' Woodland Phlox--intense and floriferous this year, was planted last year.

Hostas--I especially like those that emerge with a different color than they'll have the rest of the season.

Lamb's Ear--the emergence of this early on with it's silver foliage catches my eye in spring, always. I didn't really think about how much I enjoyed its emergence until this year, though. Other plants come up with small shoots that are hardly noticeable or boring. This one demands attention.

June--

Azaleas/rhodies--earliest are Percy Wiseman and a tall 'Light' series which usually start late May.

Peonies

Deanna - What I loved about this project is the way it helps you figure out what to focus on for new ideas for combinations, design, etc. Maybe you love Hostas, but the bed they are in is not thrilling you. Then you can think about well, what will be the best combination of plants that will complement the Hostas. I found that very helpful in organizing my thinking and planning.

And also, as you said, you have one Lilac and you really need more. That's what happened with me too. I identified the plants that really give me the most pleasure and thought, why don't I have more of those?

For me I have a lot in April. A lot of bulbs starting with Snowdrops. I decided I would love to have a large patch of those and all I need to do is get out there and start dividing what I have and moving them around.

I look forward to Hyacinths and Scilla, I love Daffodils and Hellebores that start in April.

I gave up on adding more Crocus because of critters eating the bulbs, but Daffodils are a mainstay. I get a lot of enjoyment from them and I keep adding more.

In May ---

I discovered through this project that I have both Lunaria and Bleeding Heart in May and they bloom together and make a really nice combination which I'm trying to cultivate.

Another bulb I added was Leucojum, that waits for May to bloom. I planted it around my patch of daffodils and when the daffodils finish blooming, the Leucojum start and I extend the bloom in that area and disguise the foliage of the daffodils.

Epimedium start blooming in May but are very short lived bloom. But the spring foliage is very pretty too and they are as reliable as you get.

Lilacs in May - Mine are just starting to perform. My neighbor pruned branches off his Spruce trees and they are getting more sun. I wish I had more area to add more.

And that's about where I pick up. I want to review my previous choices and see if they still hold true. Then I need to work more on June thru Sept. Perfect timing. I can start recording what comes into bloom and when and how long it blooms and if there are any problems with them.