With the main burst of spring and summer colour over most gardens may be looking a little dull now but with a bit of winter planting this doesn't have to be the case. There are many flowering plants that tolerate our winters well and add the much needed colour this time of year and beyond. Here are just a few of my favourites to get you started;
Cyclamen.
These bright colourful flowers wouldn't look out of place in a summer garden however they choose to flower between now all the way through until march. There are actually two main types, one flowering from now till December and the other from December until March, if you interplant the two it will seem like they just continue on. They like well drained areas of semi shade. As they are flowering now there is no harm in putting a little fertiliser such as Westland Houseplant Feed on them once every few weeks or so to give them strong repeated blooms.
They look great in window boxes or at the base of trees.
Winter Heather (Erica Carnea).
Heather is a fabulous go to when the weather gets tough. These colourful little plants will tolerate extreme cold and also give any fool hardy bumblebees something to feed on before hibernation. They like well drained sunny areas and do well in window boxes, pots or any rocky areas. They will also last for years if you cut them back after flowering each time. If you don't cut them back they can tend to look a little scruffy after a few flowerings and are then difficult to get back into shape.
Skimmia Japonica.
These are great plants for winter as their flower buds look fantastic and they bud now all the way through till spring. They come in red, pink and white and so can be interplanted for variety. They are relatively hardy and so can be planted in most areas although avoid extremely sunny spots (not a huge problem in an Irish winter). They look quite formal and so can look really well in borders as well as in larger pots in more organised areas.
The Christmas Rose (Helleborus Niger)
Last but not least The Christmas Rose. A classic plant to plant this time of year The Christmas Rose flowers in December until April. This plant loves shade and looks great around the base of trees or in the darker corners of your garden. Be mindful not to put it in any overly wet areas as is tends to prefer very well drained soil. These plants self seed easily and so if you plant it this year it should keep itself going for many years to come if it's happy with it's placement.
So with the darker days coming do try and brighten up your garden or patio with some colour as it can really help with the long winter not to mention help the native wildlife find some food.
Happy planting!
Sophie x
