Before winter, many gardeners prepare by mulching around plants and laying a protective coating above the soil, allowing the ground to huddle in and brave the cold. However, there are flowers that are perfect for winter – flowers that are extremely hardy, and can grow outdoors in any weather. Yes, we’re talking real flowers, not just little scrub bushes. Just remember that before planting these flowers it is important to use a generous amount of landscape mulch so that the soil is kept warm, and the flowers can thrive.
If planting indoors, the colors that winter flowers come in are varied. If the flowers are planted outside, however, the colors will be more limited to white, blue, violet, and the occasional yellow. This may be a good thing to keep in mind when purchasing rubber mulch for gardening, so you can coordinate the mulch with the color of the flowers.
The main plants in an outdoor winter garden will be shrubs and flower bulbs. Some good choices for flowers are Winter Aconite, Snowdrop Flower, and Witch Hazel.
The Snowdrop flower is referred to as the January birth month flower because it grows between late winter and early spring. The flower grows best in a cool climate; it needs some sunlight and some shade. The bulbs will dry out if not planted right away, and they require a period of cold weather before starting to bloom. They will bloom to their fullest potential in a cool climate. The Snowdrop Flower’s beauty remind some of a weeping willow in that they grow tall stems with beautiful white blossoms that droop to the ground, almost as if they are snowdrops falling from the sky.
The Winter Aconite is a vibrant yellow flower that looks like a cross between a Buttercup and a Crocus. This flower is extremely hardy, and can grow in almost any type of the soil, with adequate mulch and drainage. It is a small flower that carpets the ground, having short stems and dark green leaves. The Winter Aconite prefers shade to the sun, and is very low maintenance, sowing its own seeds and growing in number from year to year.
Witch Hazel is a winter shrub whose reddish-yellow blossoms give off a fragrant scent. This shrub grows very tall, and will grow well in either shade or sun. It, too, grows from late winter to early spring.
During the winter your garden does not have to be barren. With the right mulch and flowers, you can have beautiful blossoms all year round.
