Winter Colour
Planting for Winter Colour
Many plants with winter interest are scented, shade tolerant and some are great in pots. The sight and scent of these colourful plants will cheer up a dull time of the year.
Winter colour may come from flowers, berries, coloured stems or dramatic evergreen foliage. Plants with fragrance are great planted by doorways or entrances in containers, and planting can then be changed according to the seasons. Use John Innes No.2 when planting containers.
Some great ideas for Winter colour are below.
Bedding
Pansies
A gardener's staple plant. Ideal for filling pots or window boxes.
Violas
Like Pansies, another staple plant. Ideal for filling pots or window boxes.
Cyclamen
Can be brought to flower from Autumn to Spring. Come in red, pink and white shades.
Good Shrubs for Winter Colour (deciduous)
Daphne
A slow growing, semi-evergreen usually with pink &...
Callicarpa
a medium-sized upright shrub. Purplish when young,...
Hamamelis Intermedia 'Diane'
Also known as Witch Hazel. Has fragrant, eye-catch...
Forsythia
Fragrant yellow flowers in February. Height up to 6ft (2m)
Cornus Mas (Cornelian Cherry)
Has purple leaves in the Autumn, with tiny yellow ...
Viburnum x Bodnantense 'Dawn'
A shrub that grows upright, with dark green, ovate...
Good evergreen Shrubs for Winter Colour
Pyracantha Firethorn
A pretty shrub with attractive flowers and red, ye...
Eleagnus Ebbingii
Lovely dark olive green leaves, with small, white,...
Arbutus Unedo Roselily
A small, shrubby, evergreen tree that produces lar...
Viburnum tinus
A large, evergreen shrub that grows to 3m with dar...
Gaultheria Pernettya
Lovely evergreen shrubs with glossy dark green lea...
Elaeagnus Pungens Maculata
A bushy evergreen shrub that can grow to 4m tall, ...
Skimmia Rubella
A small, bushy evergreen shrub with dark green lea...
Sarcococca Confusa (Sweet Box)
A bushy evergreen shrub that can grow to 2m, with ...
Mahonia 'Sweet Winter'
Sweet Winter has beautiful, dark green, fine folia...
Climbers
Trachelospermum Jasminoides
A vigorous medium-sized evergreen woody climber wi...
Jasminium Nudiflorum (Winter Jasmine)
A medium-sized deciduous shrub with long, arching ...
Herbaceous Perennials
Bergenia 'Autumn Magic'
A clump-forming, evergreen perennial, to around 15...
Helleborus Christmas Carol
This will often produce its large, glowing white f...
Bulbs
Galanthus Nivalis (Snowdrops)
Delicate white flowers from January to February. Height 3-4 inches (7-10cm)
Scilla Mischtschenkoana
'Tubergeniana' variety has pale blue flowers in February. Height: 4-6 inches (10-15cm)
