You want a garden that looks vibrant and stunning all year round. While most plants and flowers will grow well in the spring and summer months, some don’t fare so well in the colder months of winter. In this short guide, you’ll discover some flowering plants that thrive in the winter months and how to care for them.
Plant Some Heather
One really cool thing about growing Heather is it grows straight up, making it perfect for pots or growing on a patio or balcony. Heather comes in three colour choices:
- White
- Purple
- Pink
It flowers all through winter, ensuring your garden has touches of vibrant colour all year round.
The best way to encourage Heather to grow is to keep the soil moist, but not wet. After it’s been established however, you only need to water Heather every now and then. Pruning should take place in late autumn to ensure fresh new flower growth in winter and an attractive shape.
Daphne
A compact plant perfect for balconies and patios, Daphne only requires minimal sunlight to survive and thrive, even in winter. Some species grow erect while others tend to spread sideways, so pruning regularly for the latter is essential to keep this stunning flowering plant from growing out of control.
Always fertilise the plant after it has flowered and don’t water to the point where the soil is always damp. Daphne is susceptible to root rot from over-watering. Morning sun is ideal to get the very best out of this flowering plant.
Polyanthus Thrive In Winter
Vibrant colours in your garden during winter are assured when you plant Polyanthus. You are spoilt for choice when it comes to colours as well, as Polyanthus produces yellow, white, blue, pink and red flowers.
A few hints on growing and maintaining Polyanthus.
Firstly, these flowering plants require quite a lot of sunshine as well as regular watering.
The soil needs to drain well to prevent root rot and you should remove any dead flowers to encourage the growth of new flowers.
Polyanthus is one of the best flowering plants to grow for Australian winters.
Winter Rose
The Winter Rose loves dappled shade in winter and protection from the sun’s harsh heat during summer. Using soil that has been enriched with compost will help this stunning winter flower to flourish all year round.
Like any flowering plant, it’s best to trim off spent flowers or dead bulbs so that new flower growth is encouraged.
The Winter Rose is a flower that keeps on giving during the winter months.
The Snowdrop Is Perfect for Winter Climates
As the name of the flower even suggests, Snowdrops are the perfect addition for your winter garden. They love the shade, so even if you grow them on your balcony or covered patio, they’ll still flourish and continue to produce stunning white flowers.
If you are growing them in the ground and not in pots, Snowdrops only need occasional watering to keep them vibrant and healthy one handy tip is to feed these plants after they have flowered to ensure enough nourishment for when they flower again.
It’s advised not to prune or trim the Snowdrop shoots as this can actually threaten the plant’s survival as it weakens the bulb.
Snowdrops love the winter chill, making it a perfect flowering plant to liven up your garden during the cold months.
Hardenbergia Is another Excellent Flower Choice for winter
This vibrant purple flowering plant is at home during the Australian winter. It’s a climber, so regular pruning and trimming back will be required to keep it in check and looking attractive, rather than out of control.
Soil that drains well is one key to producing healthy Hardenbergia plants. Another is to locate the plants in semi-shaded areas of the garden or patio.
For those people living in apartments, so long as you prune regularly, Hardenbergia is a fantastic choice and will even help provide some privacy. Climbing plants can make for the perfect privacy screen while looking stunning at the same time.
The Wrap
This article has covered some of the very best winter flowering plants for the Australian climate and some basics on how to care for them. There are actually quite a few species that fare well during colder weather, but this list gives you enough to get started.
Just because it’s winter, it doesn’t mean your garden has to be devoid of colour and life.
Author Bio:
Daniel Fudge is the managing Director at Hort Culture, a Sydney based garden services provider specialising in maintenance in the residential, commercial and strata sector. He has been in the Horticulture industry for over 15 Years.
