- Many shrubs produce flowers in winter, usually between the months of November and February. These flowers are particularly long-lasting in the plant kingdom. Many are scented, such as the winter honeysuckle blooms with cream-colored flowers. Meanwhile, Azara microphylla is a wall shrub with small yellow flowers, but their vanilla scent is powerful for their size.
- Pines and other evergreens maintain their foliage year-round.Fragment of snow-covered fir-tree image by ssg from Fotolia.com
Evergreen trees are ideal for winter gardens, as they maintain their green foliage year-round -- even when the weather turns icy and gray. Gardeners can grow traditional holiday trees in their backyards, such as pines, firs and junipers. The semi-evergreen Cotoneaster (Hybridus pendulus) -- with weeping branches and berries that surprisingly do not attract birds -- appears in Val Bourne's list of the top 100 winter plants in The Telegraph. The Japanese apricot tree (Prunus mume Beni-chidori) comes alive with deep-pink blossoms in February; these flowers have a woodsy, almond fragrance. - Gardeners who enjoy fresh vegetables need to grow them over the winter so they are ready for the kitchen later. October is a safe time to sow, according to Bunny Guiness at The Telegraph. She recommends broad beans for winter growing, especially the fall growers Aquadulce Claudia and Super Aquadulce. Gardeners can also plant winter leaf lettuce and begin harvesting it just 40 days later -- perfect timing for a cold-weather snack.
- Orchids are low-maintenance flowers that frequently bloom in winter when grown indoors.phalenopsis orchid image by Jack Prichett from Fotolia.com
If the winter weather discourages gardeners from venturing outdoors, they can still use their green thumbs with indoor plants. Orchids are easy to grow at mildly cool temperatures typical of wintertime indoors; many even bloom in winter, according to master gardener Dan Jewett on Colorado State University's website. Other plants that bloom in winter with sufficient water and light include amaryllis, calla lilies and aloe, all of which the National Gardening Association recommends for indoor winter growing.
Flowering Shrubs
Trees
Vegetables
Houseplants
SHARE
