10 Plants You Can Keep Even In The Winter
Having flowers and plants around you makes everything brighter and happier. But then they die during the winter and you have to start all over again when March comes. But did you know that there are some winter plants that keep blooming outside, even when the snow starts falling?
My family loves having flowers and plants around us, but we always have to cover up our baby magnolia trees and our rose bush when the first frost comes because it gets too cold in Massachusetts for a lot of plants. But, because we live in New England, there are some trees and bushes that have adapted to the cold weather, and they keep blooming even when it’s below twenty degrees outside. So here are some of my favorite plants and flowers that grow in the winter!
1. Violas and Pansies
Violas and pansies bloom for most of the winter in milder climates. Some of them will rebound in the spring in the colder climates. They are only supposed to bloom for one year, but many will drop seeds when it starts getting colder and will come back again the next spring.
These are really good winter plants if you want a lot of color around your house. The most popular colors for pansies are pink and purple, and violas are obviously purple. So they add a little bit of color to the white and brown colors you see a lot during the winter. New flowers might not bloom if you get a lot of snow, but they pansies and violas that are healthy when the snow starts falling will not die that quickly, so you’ll still see some color from them.
2. Snowdrops
Snowdrops are also known as galanthus. They must be planted really early in the fall because they bloom really early in the spring, often while there is still snow on the ground. The flower looks like a white raindrop, which is where it gets its name from.
These winter plants look best bordering the sidewalk at the front of your yard or in rock gardens. They are white flowers, and they start blooming when snow is still on the ground. So planting them where they are easily visible, even with snow, makes them the most visible. These flowers are also really pretty in big bunches, so plant them with other snowdrops instead of by themselves, that way they can stand out more.
3. Winter Jasmine
Winter jasmine is more of a bush than it is a flower or plant, but the bush is very bright and colorful, so it is perfect for the white and brown colors of winter. It is a medium sized bush with long, arching branches and bright yellow flowers.
These winter plants are not fragrant, but they are very visible and pretty. They add a lot of color in a time of year where there isn’t a lot of color outside. If you want your house to be obvious on your street, these bushes would be great to have around your house, or they would be good if you wanted to put up a border between your house and your neighbors house. These bushes are good for adding color to your house if you have a white house.
4. Hellebores
Hellebores are really pretty perennials, also known as Lenten roses. They bloom around the time of Lent, which is mid-late winter. They can survive snowstorms once they start blooming, so don’t worry about a foot of snow falling on them after they start sprouting.
These winter plants are poisonous, though, so be careful not to ingest any of it when it starts to bloom. The colors are very pretty, so they will add some color to a very dull landscape during the winter. They don’t require a lot of sun, which is another reason they are very good for the winter. Hellebores also prefer to be surrounded by other plants, so it would be best to plant them at the edge of the woods or in a garden with other plants.
5. Pieris
Pieris is an evergreen plant, so they are blooming all year round. The main bloom of the year, though, is in mid-late winter, when the snow is just starting to slow down. But they bloom again several other times throughout the year.
Each flower of these winter plants looks like a bell. There are also several bells on each plant, so the stems can hold many flowers. It almost looks like you could shake the plant and hear several bells going off the more you shake. That would not be good for the plant, though, so you shouldn’t do that. They are white, so they won’t give you much color during the winter, but they are still nice flowers to have around when it’s cold outside.
6. Winter Aconite
Winter aconite look almost like the buttercup flowers before they open up. They bloom during the middle of winter, when it is at its coldest. The bright yellow color stands out in the dead of winter, when the only colors you see are white and brown.
These winter plants should be planted in large groups for the color to have the best effect. They can be planted along the sidewalk, kind of giving your yard a border, or you can plant them around your house itself. Any way you plant these flowers, they will certainly look pretty against the white snow. They have to be planted in the fall before the snow starts falling, and then they just pop up from the snow in the middle of winter.
7. Cyclamen
Cyclamen are usually houseplants, but in milder climates, you can plant them in the ground. They come in pink, white, lavender and fuchsia, so they can add a lot of color to the winter background around your house.
These winter plants prefer winter sun and summer shade, so planting them at the edge of the woods would be the best spot. They like being with other cyclamen, so make sure to plant them in big groups. You can combine the colors together, so your yard becomes even more colorful, or you can stick with one color. Either way, these flowers will be really nice to have in your yard, or your house, during the winter months.
8. English Primrose
English primrose bloom in late winter or early spring, depending on how bad your winter is. There are many different types and many different colors, so pick the flower that can survive the winter where you live.
These winter plants look best surrounded by other colorful flowers because of the pale color to them, but English primrose also come in other colors. These flowers do not need a lot of sun to grow because they bloom in the winter time. But they prefer to be near other English primrose flowers, so make sure to plant them with other flowers. They are colorful and good to keep around your house if you like having a lot of flowers.
9. Camellia
Camellia are evergreen shrubs with white, pink, or red flowers that bloom from fall through to the winter. Evergreen plants do not die during the winter, so these would be good if you get a lot of snow during your winter.
These winter plants come in many varieties, so before you go out and buy one make sure you are getting the right one that will bloom in your winter. These bushes will make good borders around your house, separating you from your neighbor. They also do not require a lot of sun, so you could plant these near the woods, if you wanted. These bushes are good to add color to an otherwise dull winter background.
10. Glory of the Snow
Glory of the snow are the best winter flower. They bloom in the dead of winter, when the weather is at its coldest. It also blooms in the early spring, but it mostly blooms during the winter time, so pick a good spot to watch them grow.
These winter plants come in blues, pinks and whites, so you can pick all three colors to grow in your yard, or you can pick just one. These flowers are also good for planting by the sidewalk or in a rock garden. The colors make them stand out among the winter colors of white and brown. These flowers like to be planted with other glory of the snow, so make sure you have a group of them in the same area when you plant them.
