A winter garden can still be full of colour by adding five cheerful plants to your outside space — and they are all hardy enough to survive when cold weather sweeps in. Your garden can be bright and vibrant even through the chillier seasons by adding these plants, which will provide yellow blooms, fiery hues or pink, red and purple shades.
This selection of five plants varies in size, so there’s at least one to suit any outdoor area, even a windowsill. Bigger gardens can happily accommodate all of these at once, offering an array of beautiful colours from December through to March. As well as these five flowering plants or “midwinter fire” foliage, you can also go for winter flowering cherry trees, such as Prunus subhirtella Autumnalis.
You can also put some spring-flowering bulbs into soil now (December), which will flower in February, March or April, such as daffodils, tulips and classic snowdrops, but you’ll need to get those into the earth soon for a springtime display.
But to get some colour into your winter garden right away, check out these five stunning plants, which can all be found at most garden centres across the UK.
Five wintertime plants to add colour to your garden:
Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)
You’ll probably have noticed this yellow-flowered plant, which blooms from November through to spring. Other variations of Winter Jasmine are available in pink or white blooms, if you prefer.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) describes this plant as “evergreen or deciduous shrubs, many climbing by twining stems bearing usually pinnate leaves, and star-shaped white, pink or yellow flowers, which are sometimes very fragrant. Fruit a black berry”.
Gardening experts at RHS describe it on their website: “Cheerful yellow flowers appear on bare stems in winter and early spring and really brighten up a dark winter day.
“This vigorous shrubby climber is easy to grow and easy to train on wires or a trellis, but it looks just as attractive left to scramble freely over low walls.”
Hellebore (Helleborus)
Coming in an array of colours, such as pink, red, or white, Hellebores “thrive in shadier spots” and are even ideal for a smaller garden or a windowsill, as they can be grown in pots.
With nodding blooms on a stem that sway in the breeze, these graceful flowers will certainly add a smile to your face in wintertime if you add them to your garden, and they’ll keep flowering into spring.
Throughout the year, hellebore leaves are evergreen and ornamental; they can be planted under a tree, edging a lawn or even in a pot on their own.
Cyclamen
Cyclamen is a common sight in British woodlands, with some types likely native to the UK. However, some varieties are also happy in pots, so this colourful plant is great for small outdoor spaces or even windowsills.
Available in ruby shades, several pinks or reds, Cyclamen is relatively easy to grow and care for. These plants prefer a shaded area, so avoid placing them in an overly sunny spot.
You can have one or a trio of colours in pots, or plant several on your lawn — they do tend to self-seed and spread out — and provide delightful colour often from November through to springtime.
Winter-flowering camellia
Gardening Express describe one winter flowering plant called Camelia Yuletide on their website, as a “fantastic Camellia” that rewards you with “masses of rich red flowers during the winter months”.
The Gardening Express website said: “Every bright crimson flower is crowned with central golden stamens in the centre, creating a vibrant display.
“Naturally coming into bloom a week or two before the Winter solstice, it (Camelia Yuletide) will continue blooming right into the new year, providing a display of colour at a time of year the garden needs it most.
Trees Direct describes Camellia shrubs generally: “Looking for a plant to keep your garden looking vibrant all year, camellia shrubs could be an excellent choice.
“Since these flowering shrubs are evergreen, it means their glossy leaves provide great structure to any garden, and as the lush green leaves darken with age, they start to create a striking backdrop.”
Most of these camellias require a sunnier spot even in winter, and you’ll need a generous amount of space for these stunning plants.
Midwinter Fire Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
This stunning shrub provides vibrant fire tones that peak in wintertime; it’s not the flowers but the coloured stems that make this species a garden showpiece.
Dogwood requires a larger space in a garden, as it can eventually spread to a two-metre area; however, it’s happy in full sun or partial shade.
In summertime, this plant has subtle white flowers and dark-toned berries in autumn. Dogwood is steeped in folklore, with records from older times attributing the shrubby plant as an asset for wishes and protection.
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