18 Blooming Flowers for Your Winter Garden

Mahonia is a charming plant that grows in almost all kinds of soils and weather conditions. It’s medium sized and reaches around 8 to 12 feet in height. The plant is resistant to most of the garden pests and, due to its durability and coarse texture, it’s considered invasive in some parts of the world.

However, if you are planning to make your garden wildlife-friendly, mahonia is your answer – the plant gives edible fruits, which you can make jam with. Mahonia doesn’t like soggy wet soil. Grow in a partial shade spot and prune it after flowering.

Named after an Ancient Greek goddess, you can be certain this flower will possess intricate beauty and fragrance.

Daphne is an evergreen shrub with shiny and green foliage, and it reaches around 3 ft in both height and width. Its flowers look like little crosses, dyed in white to dark pink.

Sow the plant on a spot that will be lit by the morning sun each day, or under a dappled shade. It doesn’t need frequent pruning or watering – do it only when it’s necessary. A way you can help daphne grow faster and easier is to plant it in slightly elevated beds.

This type of shrub has flowers consisting of two sets of petals: the outer ones a thin, translucent, pale yellow, while the inner ones have purple streaks.

It prefers a well-drained garden soil, which can even be on the chalky side.

Plant it in a sunny, sheltered position near a south wall.

The Winter heath is a bushy-like plant with small magenta buds. It prefers moist and free-draining acidic soil.

You can plant them in a rock garden or in a pot inside your home.

The winter heath bush is really low maintenance, just make sure to water it regularly.

Christmas rose is a part of the evergreen perennials. It’s relatively small and reaches around 10 to 15 inches in height.

Legend has it, a little shepherd asked the angels for a gift to give to newly-born baby Jesus. At that moment, a beautiful Christmas rose appeared out of the snow as a holy present.

The plant is durable and easy growing. It loves partial shade and grows best in a moist but well-draining soil. Christmas rose blooms with white flowers which get a hint of pink when they age.

Winter jasmine is one of the easiest plants to grow. It doesn’t have any pest problems, nor it is prone to typical plant diseases. In addition, the Winter Jasmine can tolerate any weather and any soil type.

Winter jasmine will look best if you decide to use it to cover slopes and walls in your garden. It spreads easily but it’s not an invasive plant. Although it doesn’t have any special requirements as far as outer conditions are involved, Winter Jasmine will surely grow best under full sun. Prune it as soon as flowering kicks in.

The funny looking flower blossoms in the first weeks of January.

It doesn’t have exactly petals – the flowers are spidery looking and a sulphur-yellow in colour.

The plant needs to be positioned in a sunny space, as it can become straggly in shade.

Remember to avoid exposed and windy positions.

Camellias are easy growing shrubs or small trees that love light shades and hate frost. This sort of flower comes in a wide range of colours – from white to a vibrant pink. The plants blooming period starts in September and ends in October.

During winter, protect from freeze with horticultural fleece or bubble wrap. However, with proper garden care, you will have beautiful camellias blooming during the coldest of seasons.

Plant them in late spring and prune after flowering. A slightly acidic soil will benefit the delicate flowers, as well as a cool and dry winter.

Honeywort has leathery grey/green leaves and small blue to purple bracts.

It tolerates drought and can be planted in a container or into the ground.

It prefers a richer soil and a lot of sunlight.

This type of honeysuckle has creamy white flowers and possesses a very strong fragrance.

Plant at any time in good loamy, moist, and well-drained soil.

It requires full sun to partial shade. Avoid wet conditions.

Skimmias are evergreen multi-season plants that do especially good in winter.

The most popular genus has fragrant white or yellowish flowers and red berries. There are also other interesting varieties, such as Skimmia japonica “Rubella” with light pink flowers and darker coloured buds.

Other species worth mentioning are Skimmia japonica “Temptation” and Skimmia japonica “Veitchii”.

Plant skimmia in a shady spot. It can also tolerate positions in deep shade. Avoid planting it in a full sun place. It prefers neutral and acidic soils.

Dubbed as one of the most durable plants, snowdrops are pest-free.

They blossom between January and March. Their white delicate flowers grow best in a moist, but well-drained soil under the shade of a tree.

During most of the year, the snowdrops are dormant beneath the ground level. Therefore, the area where you plant them may look barren. To avoid that, you can plant ferns on top to conceal the space.

Nemesia is a versatile plant that serves many purposes. This flower can be used as a ground cover, edging plant, container plant or in a hanging basket.

Due to its shape and its frequent bicolour flowers, Nemesia reminds of orchids. It reaches 1 ft height and prefers soil, which is rich in organic matter.

Grow Nemesia under a full sun or afternoon shade. Cooler temperatures work fine for the plant, as it fits the British climate.

Violas are perennial plants, which can be grown as annuals. Plant them in autumn and you will get a 365-day year round blooming cycle. You can let it grow in a hanging basket a or window box. The once wildlife plants were cultivated during the Dark Ages as domestic, and today violas are even present in the cookbooks of experimental chefs.

Violas are easy to grow and easy to spread – however, if you live in a forestry area and you’ve got the occasional wildlife visitors, such as deer and rabbits, you should know that they like to snack on violas. Deterrents such as human hair, chives, garlic, onions and moth balls can help chase them away.

This beauteous plant comes in a range of white to pink and purple colours. It’s one of the most heat and drought hardy domestic decorative plants, however, it’s not frost-resistant. It belongs to the mustard family which probably explains its strong fragrance. Sweet alyssum is highly sought after in alpine rock gardens.

Tolerant to any soil, sweet alyssum will only prefer moderate moisture and good drainage. The best way to ensure the plant’s longevity is to trim it immediately after blooming.

This winter-blooming flower is silver-washed, with a serrated foliage and white saucers, which fades to a light pink in mid-winter.

It needs to be planted in a raised flower bed around a shady spot in your garden.

Snapdragon’s name comes with its flowers’ resemblance to a dragon head.

Children are arguably its biggest fans – they like to squeeze the flower’s sides so that its “mouth” opens and snaps shut. The flower is able to bloom in winter and can handle frost. It comes in almost all ranges of colour, except blue.

Grow under full sun with well-draining soil.

Another evergreen that also has the advantage of winter flowers and fruit is Viburnum.

We love Viburnum Tinus ‘Gwenllian’. This is another compact shrub that most gardeners will be able to find a home for, and it’s well worth it for its winter value.

From red buds in early winter come white flowers later in the cold season and finally blue almost metallic-looking berries.