Winter is considered to be the season of chill, frost, dead and dark and often associated with gloomy barren gardens, devoid of any kind of color and bloom. However, if you want to see flowers in your garden during winter, consider planting some of the winter flowers that can withstand the cold climate of winters and thrive in them.
Choosing Winter Flowers
When choosing flowers for a winter garden, consider the space you have and weather conditions you live in. If you have lots, the Chinese Juniper is a good choice. This tree produces yellow flowers. If you plan to plant the flowers against the wall, the honeysuckle plant that produces white flowers is good. If you want berries along with flowers, the Poinsettia and Russian Olive plant are options. If you live in a region where the winters are harsh, consider the Camellia Sasanqua and Winter Jasmine. In harsh weather conditions, the Russian Olive plant will not survive.
Planting the Flowers
Select a location that gets maximum sun exposure and prepare the raised flower bed there. Plant the flowers as per their specific planting directions, add fertilizer and water them as per their individual needs. Cover the plants if you expect frost as this can kill the plant. If you live in a region that attracts rainfall and snow, water may be provided to the plants naturally.
Caring for Winter Plants
The first thing to remember is watering them regularly. It is important to water winter plants thoroughly before the ground freezes. Treat the soil with mild fertilizers that will break down slowly over the next few months. Spray a fungicide and an insecticide to prevent diseases and pests from entering your garden. Finally, cover the ground around the plant with mulch, leaves and straw before temperatures drop below the freezing mark.
Helleborus Vesicarius Varieties
Helleborus vesicarius flowers remain dormant during summers and start reviving themselves during the beginning of the winter season. The flowers are green in color and can be seen in different shapes and sizes, depending upon the variety you have planted in your garden. The flowers are 1 ½ to 4 inches in diameter. Some of the popular varieties of Helleborus vesicarius flowers include viridis, cyclophyllus, odorus, multifidus and macranthus. The Heleborus Orientalis hybrids have dark burgundy colored flowers which usually bloom during January.
Phloxes Varieties
Phloxes flowers like the winter sun and bloom throughout the season. The nivalis camla variety has bright pink flowers and is the earliest to bloom, in November. The purple-eyed violet flowers called douglasii bloom during December and the subulata variety blooms the entire year with its whitish flowers and crimson center.
Iris Varieties
The algerian iris with its purple flowers, bloom at the beginning of the winter season. The blue-gray leaves of the reticulata variety can be seen in late December, but the flowers come up only during February. Although this variety can grow during the summer season too, it blooms at its best under the winter sun.
Snowdrops Varieties
The first snowdrop flowers appear during late November as they like the winter sun and bloom well in moist soil. The elwesii variety makes their presence in woods and rock gardens by February. The flowers can be easily identified with their green markings on top and bottom of their downturned cups. The ikariae variety is identified by bright green broad leaves and flower cups with green color at the tips.
Crocus Varieties
Some of the varieties of crocuses, including aevigatus and imperati suaveolens, bloom by Christmas. The laevigatus have violet fragrant flowers with purple color on their outer petals. The imperati suaveolens have violet flowers coming out of creamy beige buds with purple stripes. Other subspecies of crocuses include sieberi, sublimes, vernus, minimus, corsicus, oblivieri, biflorus and augustifolius.