The Beauty of Winter Blooms

Added on:  March 2, 2015 @ 2:19 pm

For most gardeners, the months of January and February can seem endless. Instead of being outside playing in our gardens, we are outside shoveling snow and trying to keep warm. While checking out blooms in garden catalogs may somewhat appease us, it is no substitute for seeing actual blooms in the landscape. There are, however, some winter blooming plants that can give an early nod to spring.

A beautiful dark green shade loving ground cover, the Hellebore (or Christmas Rose), wakes up in January with a triumphant bloom. Ranging in colors from white to the darkest purple, the Hellebore shows off with flowers peeking out from the evergreen foliage, reminding us that spring will soon arrive.

A classic evergreen shrub (or small tree) that also shows off early in the year is the Camellia Japonica. While best grown in partial (morning ) sun, these bushes display multi- petaled flowers in shades of white, red and pink. Admire the blooms outside, or cut one and float in a bowl of water for an indoor treat.

With it’s shaggy, spidery blooms and crinkly petals ranging up and down each branch, Hamamelis (or Witch Hazel) can lift the spirits of any cabin bound gardener. Planted as a shrub or small tree in the sun, the winter blooms come in the most wonderful colors: orange, pink, red, purple, and all different shades of yellow. Bring a budded branch inside your home and watch spring blossom indoors!

A trooper of the winter garden is the viola. When planted in the fall, these pansy family members survive the snow and cold with aplomb. Adverse weather may make them look a bit ragged, but on the first sunny day, you can see their tiny faces pointing up towards the sun. With blooms in white, yellow, purple and lavender, these winter work horses will make you smile.

So keep the winter blues away by planting some winter blooming plants this year. A quick trip into your garden during the winter to see what’s blooming can remind you that spring is on it’s way.