Even though snow covers the ground and fog fills the air, color can still appear in the winter garden. Winter flowering plants require the same care that spring and summer plants do: soil, water and fertilizer. For those gardeners addicted to color, do your research now, so you're ready to plant when the time comes. The four flowering plants shown here are favorites among winter gardeners.
Winter Flowering Plants
by BrendaReeves
A colorful array of winter flowers on trees, shrubs, bulbs and other plants brighten up the dreary, cold months. Get started now for flowers in winter
Lenten Rose
This perennial evergreen loves shade and moisture, but it doesn't love standing water. Add compost to clay soil for good drainage. You can purchase compost at any garden center if you don't make your own. Lenten rose reaches 14 to 18 inches in height with a spread of 12 to 18 inches. Flowers grow in shades of green, cream and pink. It thrives in USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9. In this case, zone 6 has a hardiness zone to -10 degrees Fahrenheight: lenten rose's lowest survival temperature. Zone 6 falls within the upper Southern and lower Northern United states
Crocus
Plant Crocus in the fall, 3 to 4 inches deep in any well-drained garden soil. They grow in shades of white, purple, yellow and bi-colors and reach three to four inches high. Crocus thrive in USDA hardiness zones six and higher which is the upper and lower Southern United States. They bloom before the last snow completely melts away.
Cyclamen
Cyclamen grows well beneath deciduous trees where they receive dappled sunlight. Plant in the soil with a balanced fertilizer. Cyclamen reaches three to four inches high in colors of white, pink, purple and pale-pink. They thrive in zones five through nine, the mid and lower half of the United States.
Witch Hazel
Witch hazel, a deciduous tree, develops yellow or orange flowers along its spidery branches and reaches eight to 10 feet in height and width. It looks best planted in a lawn with daffodils and snowdrops. Plant in well-drained soil and full sun. It can tolerate some shade. Soil should be moist. Witch hazel thrives in zones four through eight, the mid-Western United States.
Perennials Flower Year After Year
Avid gardeners brave snow, fog, rain and freezing weather to enjoy a winter flowering garden. If you are new to winter flowering plants, start off with beautiful, easy to grow plants. These perennials reward the gardener year after year with gorgeous flowers. There's no trick to growing winter flowers.They require the same care as spring and summer flowers. Try some new winter flowering plants the following year and thereafter. Envious neighbors may ask for your secret to a winter flower garden.
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Comments
Thank you Katie.
Really cool, I had no idea there were such pretty flowering plants tolerant to winter, I love the idea, thanks :)K
How cold does it get where you are at Sheila?
Oh, I thought you were going to talk about indoor plants! An outdoor winter garden is an impossibility here in Canada!
Thanks for the info. One of these days I need to visit the UK.
Thanks for the info. One of these days I need to visit the UK.
All of these plants can be grown in gardens in the UK. The cyclamen plants we put into the garden here need to be of the hardy variety. Winter flowering jasmine, with its yellow flowers is a nice climber for winter color. The Lenten rose is sometimes called a hellebore when it is sold here in garden nurseries.