9 of the best flowers to plant for a blooming winter garden
Don’t neglect your garden this winter – plant these flowers that are hardy enough to bring colour to your garden during the colder months.
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While summery days spent in the garden may seem a distant memory right now, a winter garden doesn’t have to be devoid of life, colour and enjoyment.
The plant pros at Gardening Express have shared their expertise with us on the best flowers to plant in order to brighten up dreary gardens in the coldest, darkest months.
Christmas rose
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Christmas roses usually bloom in January but sometimes as early as Christmas, from which you may have guessed it gets its name. The flowers feature large, round, white flowers above low-growing mounds of leathery, deep green foliage, and are perfect for growing at the front of a partially shaded border.
Pansies
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Did you know pansies are the ideal flower for planting in winter? These low-growing bush perennials have large striking flowers which come in plenty of different colours. Most varieties flower in spring and summer but some have been bred to bloom November to March, so make sure you check the label and buy the right type.
Mahonia
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Mahonias are a stunning plant that feature bright yellow flowers and are a popular choice for winter-active bumblebees, meaning even though summer is long gone, you can still attract wildlife to your garden. They flower between November and March and should be grown in moist soil in partial shade.
Read more: How to help wildlife in your garden this winter
Daphne
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Great for small gardens, Daphne plants are colourful shrubs that bloom in late winter and early spring. They’re ideal for window boxes if you’d like to brighten up the front of your home for winter. Most varieties bear clusters of small flowers in various shades of red or pink, and sometimes white or green too.
Snowdrops
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Snowdrops are, without a doubt, a winter favourite for gardeners. With so many different species and varieties to choose from, there is a type to suit any type of garden. For natural looking drifts, gently cast the bulbs across the planting area and plant them exactly where they land.
Winter clematis
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Winter clematis is a perennial climber with glossy, evergreen foliage which flowers December to January. As a Group One clematis, they don’t necessarily need pruning, though this can be done lightly, straight after flowering, to restrict their size.
Heather
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Winter-flowering heathers are inexpensive and a brilliant plant for low-growing texture. Evergreen, easy-to-grow, small, manageable, and long-flowering, it looks great in pots and comes with pink, white and purple flowers.
Read more: How to inject colour into your garden this winter
Cyclamen
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Cyclamen are winter heroes that can brave the cold and can be brought to flower from autumn to spring. The flowers come in a variety of red, pink and white shades, which look fantastic in pots or planted under trees – pick a planting method that suits your garden.
Winter Aconite
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Winter aconite bulbs produce golden, cup-shaped flowers surrounded by a green collar of leaves. In fact, they look just like buttercups, except they flower in the depths of winter. They love a moist soil and a shady position, so they’re perfect for planting among trees.