Arricca Elin SanSone is a freelance writer, editor, and digital content developer. She specializes in lifestyle and interior design content with a focus on gardening. Arricca earned dual bachelor’s degrees summa cum laude in English and classics from Hiram College, as well as an MBA cum laude from Georgia Southern University. Before writing full-time, Arricca studied in Rome, traveled in Europe, and taught school in Asia. With over a decade of experience, Arricca has pitched, researched, and crafted fresh story ideas and content to appeal to national audiences. She has written thousands of articles for print and digital publications such as Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, House Beautiful, and more. 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When the holiday season is over, and the long winter can start to drag out, we often find ourselves chomping at the bit for spring. Luckily, there's one part spring we can enjoy even as winter drags on: The pretty flowers in our garden!
A well-designed garden will have charms to display all year. Even during the coldest days, you may be surprised to know that many annual flowers, perennials, and flowering shrubs will bloom, without waiting for warm weather or longer days to show off. Some hardy plants bloom in the late fall and hang on long after the snow has fallen. Others start to push out of the ground before the snow begins to melt! And lucky gardeners in mild climates can choose perennials that flower all winter long.
When planting shrubs and perennials in your garden, make sure the plant will survive in your USDA Hardiness Zone. (Find your zone here.) Then read plant descriptions and labels so you know to give a plant what it needs, whether that's full sun, (which is six or more hours of direct light), partial sun, or even mostly shade.
Don't try to cheat because Mother Nature will have none of it! Pay attention to planting times too. Most winter bloomers, including bulbs, need put in the ground in the fall in order for you to enjoy them next winter. Winter-blooming shrubs are best planted in the spring or fall for a show next winter. Now, make your list from our favorite winter flowers so you can plan a spectacular garden that shines in every season.
1
Crocuses
Martin Ruegner//Getty Images
Sweet little flowers pop their heads up in late winter to early spring. These bulbs—actually called "corms"—do tend to attract rodents, so plant these alongside other less-tasty types of bulbs, such as hyacinths and daffodils, that rodents tend to ignore.
You might recognize these as a houseplant, but they're actually perennials that do well as ground covers. They like to be under deciduous trees so they can soak up winter sun but be protected from summer's heat.
This evergreen shrub has exquisite blooms in late winter to early spring. There are many different varieties that bloom throughout the year, so be sure you're buying one that is a winter-blooming type.
Daffodils are usually seen as one of the first signs of spring, but, depending where you live, they will begin popping up as early as February. Don't worry about snow or freezing temperatures harming the foliage, they're extremely cold hardy.
Snowdrops are charming, ethereal, perennial flowers that require very little maintenance, are able to carpet the ground when they become established, and bloom in winter as early as January or February, depending on where you live.
The gorgeous, frilly heads of these showy plants last most of the winter in mild climates and well into late fall in cold areas of the country. They come in many different colors and forms.
This gorgeous shrub thrives in warmer climates. The daphne shrub has pretty tubular pink or white flowers which appear in late winter and have an amazing sweet, fruity scent!
This shrub has pretty, yellow flowers on arching branches in late winter. It doesn’t have a fragrance like other types of jasmine, but it does offer a bright splash of winter color in mild climates.
This shrub bursts with bright red berries that add cheery color to the winter landscape. Some types are deciduous, while others are evergreen, retaining their leaves. No matter what kind, the gorgeous berries really pop against a field of snow. Plant both a "female" and "male" plant for pollination and the formation of berries.
These stunning flowers, also known as Lenten roses, bloom in early winter in mild climates and late winter in cold regions. Even though they appear delicate, they’re undemanding and super cold-hardy.
This lesser-known evergreen shrub produces gorgeous white or pink blooms in late winter and early spring that last for a few weeks. It's a must-have for early spring color.
The brightly colored, charming little “faces” of violas are a welcome sight on chilly mornings. In mild climates, they’ll last all winter long. Many types technically are annuals but they self-seed freely, so they'll often pop up again next year on their own.
Whee! These tiny flowers, which bloom around the same time as crocuses and winter aconite, look like a pair of pants drying in the wind. Plant at front of border in groups for best effect.
Like their relatives, violas, pansies offer brilliant color in early spring. They’ll survive a light frost and bloom for most of the winter in mild climates.
Tiny drooping white flowers appear in late winter to early spring, sometimes while there’s still snow (yes, that’s how they got their name!). Plant a bunch of them for the best effect.
A small evergreen plant with tiny, pink blossoms, heath blooms for weeks and weeks, anytime from January to March. It might even bloom beneath the snow! Make sure you get the winter-blooming variety, as other types flower in summer.
The little fuzzy flowers (called catkins!) on these shrubs aren’t bright and showy like a lot of winter bloomers. But they're adorable anyhow! They make great cuts stems to brighten up your kitchen table.
Wispy-looking flowers appear on bare branches in February or March on this shrub, even in the coldest climates. Look for a winter-flowering variety, as there are many different kinds.
While some varieties bloom in spring or summer, English primroses bloom in late winter. Their unexpected bursts of color in white, cream, hot pinks, purples and yellows are a welcome show of spring just when you need it most.
