What Plants Bloom in Winter? – Colorful Shrubs for a Beautiful Garden During the Cold Season!

During the winter our gardens begin to look a little melancholy as they become more and more bare. Is it possible to breathe life into them during the cold months and bring back their joyful colors? It is, and we’ll tell you how! In this article, our editorial team will reveal to you what plants bloom in winter so that you can have a picture-perfect garden even during the coldest of seasons!

What Plants Bloom in Winter? – 4 Must-Have Shrubs

Just because it’s getting dark and gloomy, it doesn’t mean your garden should look that way, too! Here are 4 beautiful plants to choose from that bloom during the winter!

Camellia

One of my favorite winter-blooming shrubs – Camellia – promises to brighten up your outdoor space with its magnificent white, pink, red, or yellow flowers! Its evergreen foliage will keep your colorful garden worthy of envy all year round! Camellia blooms from fall until spring, depending on the variety you’ve chosen.

This plant likes acidic soil, grows in the shade, and preferably sheltered from wind. Dig a wide hole and place the hydrated root ball in it.  Cover carefully with soil while being careful not to bury the crown. Then press, water, and add mulch.

Read also: Hardy Perennial Plants for Outdoor Pots That Will Survive Winter: Plant Once, Enjoy for Many Years

Cyclamen

Although Cyclamen is usually used as an indoor plant, it can also be grown outdoors. One of its biggest advantages is the wide variety of species, most of which bloom all year round! It has a remarkable hardiness up to 20°C (68 °F). Here’s a list of winter and spring-flowering species:

• Cyclamen Coum
• Cyclamen Repandum
• Cyclamen Persicum
• Cyclamen Pseudibericum

The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing your species is to make sure that it’s suited for the climate of your region.

Plant the bulbs in well-drained and moist soil in the shade, or partially shaded area. Only plant the bulbs halfway. The best time to do that is in midsummer (July – August). However, if you buy bulbs in containers, they can be planted during all frost-free seasons.

Also read: Hardy and Blooming Ground Covers: The Most Beautiful Species in the Garden for Sun And Shade

Helleborus

Helleborus, also known as Christmas Rose are frost and shade-averse and can adorn your gardens in the winter from November to May.  This goes for all Helleborus species!

It’s best to plant them in the fall (September-November), especially if you live in a region where the summer is really dry and hot. Choose a shaded area that’s protected from wind, ideally under a shrub. The Christmas Rose thrives best in well-drained, humus-rich clay soil. You’ll need to dig a 40cm diameter hole and space the plants 50cm apart. Before you install the plants, put organic fertilizer at the bottom.

Note: The Christmas Rose is a toxic plant and should be consumed by humans and animals. To avoid skin irritation, make sure that you are wearing gloves when handling it.

Winter Viburnum

The Winter Viburnum is a beautiful fragrant plant that blooms in white, red, and pink from November to April. However, only plants that are at least 4–6 years old blossom. Winter Viburnum likes all types of soils, although it is best if you avoid planting it on land that floods during the winter. They prefer the sun or a partially shaded area that’s sheltered from the wind.

Planting takes place from October to March while making sure that there are at least 2 2-meter distance from other shrubs. The hole you’re going to plant them in should be a diameter at least 3 times bigger than the root ball with compost at the bottom. Water it generously during the warm seasons.

Read also: Top 6 Cold-Hardy Fragrant Plants to Plant in Fall!