In a previous blog, we talked about ways to spruce up your garden over Christmas, and one of our favourite ideas was braving the frosty ground and trying to grow some winter flowers.
It’s easy to think of winter as a quiet time in the garden, but it’s an excellent opportunity to get ahead with your preparation for spring.
So, in this blog, we look at how you can add a splash of colour to your winter garden with some of the best flowering plants for January and beyond.
Snowdrops
Perhaps the most famous of all winter flowers, snowdrops, or galanthus nivalis, are the first on our list of the best winter-growing flowering plants. As the first bulbs of the year bloom, their arrival signals the beginning of the end of winter, which is why in flower language, they represent hope and new beginnings, as well as innocence and purity thanks to their flawless white petals.
For the best result, grow snowdrops in moist but well-drained soil, preferably in partial shade. It could be a good idea to snip off any dead heads to concentrate energy back to the bulb, as this will give you a better display the following year.
Plant: Dry bulbs in autumn, bulbs in the green in early spring
Bloom: January to March
Winter-Flowering Heather
This robust species, known in Latin as erica carnea, is a great choice to give your garden a more rustic, natural appeal, especially with the rising rewilding trend. One of the most popular attributes of winter-flowering heather is that it’s an umbrella term for several subspecies, each with its unique appeal.
Springwood White features dainty white belles and rich, chocolatey anthers on dark green stems, while Vivellii offers a vibrant, pink-purple bloom with rich bronze winter foliage.
Its durability and ubiquity make winter flowering heather one of our top five flowering plants for January and beyond. Caring for winter-flowering heather is straightforward, too. Just make sure you locate them in as sunny a space as possible and in some well-drained soil, as these will act as flowering triggers for winter-flowering heather.
Water your heather once or twice a week until the plant is well established, which will usually take a couple of years. Following that, it should be self-sufficient in all but the driest weather.
Plant: Early spring or autumn
Bloom: January to March
Pansy
As a cool weather favourite, it’s no surprise that the Viola x wittrockiana has made our list. With their large, heart-shaped, overlapping petals and wide range of eye-catching colours, pansies are a great way to add colour and life to a sleepy winter garden.
The name pansy comes from the French pensée, meaning ‘thought’, which is why these flowers have often been seen as symbols of remembrance and contemplation.
It’s not just their pleasing looks that put pansies in our list of the best winter-growing flowering plants, though, as they’re surprisingly hardy too. They should comfortably survive frost, surging back from even single-digit temperatures. And don’t panic if their bloom withers slightly in the cold, as the plant itself will often survive to bloom another day.
The only downside of these vibrant, hearty little flowers is they can be tricky to seed, so it might be worth buying established plants to ensure a quick and rewarding bloom.
Plant: Late summer to autumn
Bloom: January to April
Christmas Box
By its common name alone, we can tell that sarcococca confusa is a shoo-in for our top five flowering plants for January and beyond. This handsome, dense shrub is perfect for those with a little more space in their garden, as it can spread to an impressive 1.5 metres in both height and breadth.
Their tiny, fragrant flowers give a creamy-white lift against rich, dark green leaves, and, in the summer, they bear red, purple or black berries. This year-round reward is also reaped with a comparatively small amount of work. In addition, Christmas Box is highly tolerant of shade, making them perfect for a shady corner or nook.
Providing they’re bedded in moist, well-drained soil, this tough, rustic shrub should give your garden a beautiful sent and authentic feel all year round.
Plant: All year round
Bloom: December to March
Winter Jasmine
With connotations of amiability, modesty and hospitality, winter jasmine or jasminum nudiflorum is our final entry on this list of the best flowering plants for January and beyond.
Winter jasmine is a moderately-sized shrub with small, trifoliate leaves and bright butter-yellow flowers that bloom to 2.5cm throughout winter and spring. Like Christmas Box, this shrub can grow to a substantial size, up to 2.5 metres, after 5-10 years of growing, meaning it’s worth considering your space availability before planting.
Contrary to the beliefs of many, jasmine is not a true climbing plant, but it can often scramble over structures and hold itself up using other plants. Its glossy, deep leaves are deciduous and match its rich, green stems, giving an earthy contrast to its vibrant petals.
As with most winter flowering plants, jasmine prefers well-drained soil and plenty of sun. While jasmine isn’t inherently fussy about soil quality it sits in, adding a touch of compost may be beneficial in achieving full bloom.
Plant: Spring
Bloom: January to March
Giving your garden a lift in the New Year
At Qwickhose®, we offer products to help you prepare your garden all year round.
Our hose connectors clamp quickly onto your hose without fuss, so you can easily water your plants no matter the weather.
Take a look at our Qwickhose® products, or contact us for more information.
