Adding winter colour

Winter can be a good time to experiment in your garden. You can grow winter vegetables, improve your soil quality, and most exciting of all, introduce gorgeous new winter-flowering plants to your plot!

Gardens expert Rowan Cripps recommends several winter-flowering plants to add a pop of colour to the landscape. Winter aconite flowers from January to February with ideal growing conditions being partial shade in moist but well-drained soil.

“Bearing golden yellow and white flowers with a characteristic green ruff, these

beautiful perennials are a perfect addition to any drab garden,” says Rowan.

Cyclamen flowers from January to April, growing best in humus-rich soil in partial shade and mulched annually.

“These delightful and hardy perennial flowers are known for their dainty, almost round blossoms. Brightening up even the darkest winter day, Cyclamen coum flowers appear in various shades of pink to purple.”

Winter-flowering cherry favours sheltered frost-free spaces with well-drained and slightly acidic soil.

Rowan adds: “It’s one of the first trees to flower and is often the first sign of life following the depths of winter. Its pale flowers complement snow and are a great sight for a crisp January sky.

“The Christmas Rose, also known as helleborus niger, is one of the earliest plants to flower. With dark green leaves and bowlshaped flowers that appear pure white or flushed with pink, these delicate plants flourish in partially shaded borders. They will also attract winter-active bumblebees, bringing additional life to your garden!”