With the right choice of plants, a colourful garden during the winter months can definitely be achieved.
Indeed, certain winter flowering plants are able to let their colour out all winter long and enhance the outdoor area of your home even during the cold months.
Such plants are, indeed, known for their ability to bloom in the cold weather. They do not only bring colour and life to your garden when the majority of nature is dormant, but they are quite tough. In fact, their resilience is what makes these plants both easily maintainable and enjoyable.
In the following article, we will share with you a list of five colourful winter-blooming plants, the benefits of using these winter growers and when to plan them. You will learn more about the types of winter flowering plants and a few examples of UK grown winter plants.
With the Christmas season just around the corner, we will also give you a few tips on how to transform your garden into a vibrant, festive space even during the cold!
Why Choose Winter Flowering Plants
Winter-flowering plants are an amazing way to keep your garden alive with colours during the cold months. Even when most of the plants and trees are resting during wintertime, there are a couple of hardy types that bloom despite the weather.
From colourful hellebores to the sweetly scented winter honeysuckle, winter flowers are an excellent way to add charm to your outdoor space with their diverse colour palette. Regardless of whether you have a small patio or a huge garden, the winter bloomers will make it look cheerful and welcoming, even on the coldest days.
These winter growers thrive in cold weather and don’t mind a bit of frost. This makes them perfect for beautifying your outdoors without much effort.
Winter flowers are also not just for beauty. They help support the local wildlife. When you plant winter-blooming plants, you are providing a crucial food source and benefit pollinators like bees, which still need nectar and pollen even during the colder months.
Whether you’re entertaining guests or simply want a pleasant view from your window, winter flowers ensure your garden looks beautiful all year-round.
When to Plant Winter Plants
Preparations for your wintertime outdoor area should ideally start with the proper care routine for your garden and lawn during the autumn months. The best time for your winter plants to be placed in the soil is also usually in early fall, more specifically sometime around September, when the soil is still warm.
Planting during this period gives your plants enough time to establish their roots and flower before the cold temperatures set in. By the time winter arrives, your plants will be strong enough to withstand cold weather and produce beautiful blooms.
You may be able to plant some winter plants, like hellebores or winter pansies, even in late autumn to ideally start blooming in November. Кeep in mind that the sooner they are planted in the ground, the stronger their roots will be. If you’re planning to plant bulbs for winter bloom, such as snowdrops, you must know that they should be planted in late summer to early autumn to give them a head start.
If the winter in your area is very harsh, you should consider planting your winter bloomers in early fall. Make sure to also add a layer of mulch around the base of each plant to protect its roots from freezing. The mulch will also help the soil retain moisture and stay warm, which can be beneficial for young plants.
If you choose to plant potted winter plants, you will have more flexibility. You can plant them in pots during late autumn and even early winter, as containers offer protection from the cold.
Types of Winter Blooming Plants
Winter-blooming plants come in both perennial and annual varieties, each offering unique qualities to bring life and colour to your winter garden. Both types of plants are resilient enough for the cold winter weather, but they serve different purposes depending on your gardening goals.
Let’s take a closer look at their characteristics.
Perennials
Perennials are types of plants that come back to life every year, which makes them the perfect long-term addition to your garden.
Here are some examples of perennial plants:
- Hellebores: also known as a Christmas rose, this is one of the most beloved winter flowering perennials. Hellebores produce beautiful, cup-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red, and purple. They bloom from late winter to early spring and thrive in shaded areas.
- Winter Jasmine: this perennial is tough and adds bright, cheerful yellow blooms to your winter garden.
- Camelia: camellias are evergreen shrubs that produce large, showy blooms in winter. They can be found in a variety of colours, including pink, red, and white, and make excellent focal points for a winter garden.
- Mahonia: with its spiky leaves and yellow flowers, Mahonia is used often to add a unique tropical look to winter landscapes. After it blooms, the Mahonia produces purple-blue berries.
The hardiness of the perennials makes them the best option if you are aiming for winter bloomers without replanting each season.
Annuals
Annual flowers complete their life cycle in just one season, so they need to be replanted every year.
Here are some examples of annuals:
- Winter pansies: these hardy little flowers are available in a variety of colours. Winter pansies are tolerant to frosting.
- Sweet alyssum: it forms a carpet of tiny white, pink, or purple flowers that are perfect for ground cover or container gardens.
- Violas: they come in various colours also and bloom well in cooler temperatures, even in months like January, adding a gentle splash of colour to garden beds or containers.
- Cyclamen: these plants do well in pots, which makes them the ideal choice for decorating patios and entryways during winter.
By adding annuals to your flower mix, you will create a dynamic winter garden that combines long-term beauty with seasonal highlights.
3 Winter Flowering Plants for Pots
Winter doesn’t have to mean a garden without any liveliness. If you add a few of the best winter flowering plants around your outdoors, the view will become much different. However, some plants are more delicate and thrive better in pots where the soil maintenance is easier to handle.
Here are three of the most beautiful winter-blooming flowers for pots:
- Winter Heather (Erica Carnea): perfect for pots and adds a soft, cascading effect that pairs beautifully with other winter plants.
- Snowdrops (Galanthus): these flowers are easy to care for and look pretty in a pot outside of your house windows.
- Witch Hazel (Hamamelis): a unique winter-flowering shrub with spidery, yellow-orange flowers that bloom in the middle of winter.
Adding pots in your winter garden is a simple and effective way for less hardy winter plants to grow in your outdoor space during the cold.
2 Winter Flowering Bedding Plants
Winter-flowering bedding plants are a wonderful way to keep your garden looking beautiful and colourful throughout the coldest months. These plants are grown specifically with the purpose of serving as decorative flowers during the winter and are placed in dedicated areas in the garden called flower beds.
Two examples of winter-flowering bedding plants are:
- Wallflowers (Erysimum): fragrant bedding plants that bloom from late fall through winter. They come in warm shades of orange, yellow, red, and purple, adding a rich palette of colour to your garden beds. Wallflowers are hardy and well-suited to cooler weather, often blooming continuously through winter.
- Polyanthus: hardy bedding plant that produces clusters of small, brightly coloured flowers. Available in a variety of shades, they make a vibrant addition to winter beds and winter borders.
Winter flowering bedding plants offer a wide variety of scent and colour, allowing you to create an eye-catching landscape even during the cold.
UK Grown Winter Plants
Beyond the typical low temperatures for the season, winter in the United Kingdom is known for its short days and wet weather. If you choose winter flowering plants grown in the UK though, you will achieve colours and beauty that will distinguish your garden from everyone else’s. These plants are locally grown and suitable for English weather, which makes them easy to care for.
Here are a few UK grown winter plants:
- Winter Aconites: have bright yellow flowers and increase the beauty in your garden during winter. They are ideal to be placed in window boxes in a partial shade, or in hanging baskets. They bloom from December to February.
- Holly: this is a classic UK-grown plant known for its dark green, spiky leaves and bright red berries.
- Dogwood: this plant has bright red or orange stems that stand out against the cold. It is extremely easy to be taken care of and provides colour throughout the whole season. You can put it in a partially shaded border or in a dappled shade. It will grow and enhance your outdoors.
With these winter plants, you can bring a festive look to your garden. When you select plants that are well-suited for the local climate, you will enjoy a thriving winter garden throughout all seasons.
How to Plan a Festive Christmas Garden
Planting a festive Christmas garden is the best way to bring holiday cheer to your outdoor space and make your garden look more welcoming during the winter.
We have listed below a few tips to get you on the track of setting up a festive garden:
- Choose winter-blooming plants: when you add winter-blooming plants you ensure that your garden has vibrant colours even in the colder months.
- Put festive lighting: nothing says Christmas like beautiful lights, so consider adding them to trees, shrubs and hedges.
- Decorate: festive decorations or star-shaped flowers will bring a personal touch to your Christmas garden.
- Add winter plants with fragrance: a festive garden should delight all senses, including smell.
Adding winter flowering plants is a great way to compliment your holiday decorations and turn your garden into a cosy, colourful retreat. With the right planning and a few seasonal touches, your garden will have a joyful Christmas look and you will be ready to welcome the holiday festivities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of decorations work best outdoors?
Weatherproof decorations, such as plastic or metal baubles, garlands made from pinecones and holly, and wooden ornaments, are ideal for outdoor use.
How can I make a garden pathway look festive?
Line pathways with string lights or lanterns, place small potted evergreens along the edges or add garlands to fences and railings.
