As the weather cools and the summer blooms begin to fade, your garden can look a little sad and past its prime. But there is no reason to give in quite yet. There are plenty of plants that will flower from the fall straight through the holidays.
Planning a winter garden will keep your yard looking lovely when everyone in your neighborhood has brown, bare beds. Cheery blooms will greet you even as you bundle up and crank your car’s defroster before work. There’s nothing better than a pop of color to brighten up a chilly November morning.
Explore these six wonderful plants that will bloom from fall right up until Christmas (polar vortices excluded, of course!) so you can keep enjoying the beauty of your garden for months to come.
1. Camellia
Growing camellias in your garden will offer frilly, rose-like blooms from October to December. Camellias are a classic staple of southern gardens and they thrive best in USDA zones 7-9, but there are hardy Zone 6 camellias that add beauty to northern gardens too.
In Zones 7-9? Check out the Yuletide camellia, available at Lowe’s, for a show of color from November into the holiday season. Zone 6 residents can count on Winter’s Joy camellia, found at Garden Goods Direct, to lighten even the gloomiest days through early winter. Even after the blooms have faded, the glossy evergreen leaves on your camellia shrub will add year-round color.
2. Witch Hazel
Growing witch hazel shrubs will not only add a pop of color to your winter garden, but also a lovely fragrance. Witch hazel is hardy in Zones 3-9 and American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) will bloom between October and December. Chinese and Japanese witch hazel varieties will bloom from January into March.
Witch hazel can grow up to 20 ft. (6.1m), but there are dwarf varieties like ‘Quasimodo’ that are a nice, compact option for smaller spaces. Find American witch hazel at Garden Goods Direct to add delicate, canary yellow flowers to your native winter garden.
3. Pansies
Pansies are spring garden classics, but they also thrive in the cooler fall temperatures as winter approaches. Plant pansies in late September for beautiful blooms all the way until the first frost hits. If you mulch heavily and plant your pansies in a south facing garden bed, you might even be able to stretch pansy bloom time longer. Cheery pansies will look great in borders or as part of a winter container garden.
You can find cold-tolerant yellow and purple pansies at the Home Depot. These delicate beauties are hardy down to 25 F (-3.8 C). Not too shabby!
4. Ornamental Kale
Ornamental kale is hardy in USDA Zone 2-11 while adding texture and vibrant pops of color to containers and garden beds alike. It likes full sun and slightly acidic soil. Make sure to keep ornamental kale well-watered so it doesn’t wilt, especially if potted with other plants.
Find a two-pack of established ornamental kale plants at the Home Depot. They will last all winter and actually have more vibrant foliage the cooler the weather is.
5. Snapdragons
Snapdragons bring tall, brilliant blooms to your cottage garden in the summer, but they are actually quite cold hardy too! They thrive in Zones 7-11, but there are even hardier varieties that do well down to Zone 3. Snapdragons do well in cooler temperatures and deadheading will encourage reblooming. Pair pansies with snapdragons in container plantings or garden beds.
The gorgeous red blooms on the Speedy Sonnet Crimson snapdragon variety from Fast Growing Trees is sure to add great autumnal color to your containers or garden borders.
6. Mahonia
Mahonia is a unique evergreen shrub that bursts into spears of bright yellow flowers in late fall or early winter. ‘Winter Sun’ mahonia (Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’) shrubs can grow to 8 feet tall (2.43 m), have holly-like foliage and are adapted to Zones 6-9. The ‘Soft Caress’ mahonia (Mahonia eurybracteata) is suited to Zones 7-9, has softer, bamboo-like leaves and is more compact, topping out at 3 feet (1 m).
Find ‘Winter Sun’ and ‘Soft Caress’ at Garden Goods Direct. They will add a sunny and joyful look to your yard from November right through the holiday season.
So who says you can’t have a gorgeous garden in the winter? Try some of these cool-loving beauties and make all your neighbors jealous. With a little bit of planning, you can have your most vibrant winter yet.
