Winter flowers brighten season
Of course it’s cold, windy and rainy outside. But amid this
misery is the most amazing surprise.
There are flowers in bloom.
Winter flowers brighten season
Of course it’s cold, windy and rainy outside. But amid this misery is the most amazing surprise.
There are flowers in bloom.
I made this discovery as my dog and I wandered through our neighborhood. Not a lot of flowers, of course, but enough to gladden the hearts of flower lovers in need of a winter fix. Some of these flowers can be planted now from well-started pots for quick bloom in January and beyond.
The winter annuals are the most obvious.
Getting star treatment at the nursery are pansies. They are already in bloom – no waiting here – displaying happy flowers in numerous color combinations. I am a fan of true blue pansies. That is both a color and a named variety. The flowers are true blue with some touches of black edging. Sharing space with pansies are johnny jump-ups, a miniature that blooms for a long time.
Pansies are considered a winter annual but they flower almost year round. Pansies planted now will endure into summer. Pinching off the spent flowers can make a difference, but if you never touch them again after planting they will bloom anyway.
Snapdragons and stock are two cold-season favorites that flourish no matter how cold it gets. Rain just brings on more flowers. I love the name “snapdragon.” Pinch the sides of the pouch-shaped flower and the mouth of the dragon snaps open. Mildew is a common problem for both snaps and stock once the weather turns warm. Yet in winter and spring there is nothing to compare.
The primrose family is a crowded one. The Sunset Western Garden Book lists 20 different ones and there are many more. At the nursery you will find in bloom on English primrose and fairy primrose. They are commonly sold in bloom in 4-inch pots. They grow in light shade and usually die back in late spring. These are a good bet for container treatment.
Beyond the winter annuals are two other fine flowering plants worth mentioning.
The white calla lilies come into their first bloom in December. The white calla is known as the “common” calla, but there is nothing common about it. A South African native, the white calla grows from a hardy rhizome that loves our climate and especially the moisture from winter rains. It can be planted any time you spot the rhizomes at the garden center.
There are other callas, including those with pink, red or yellow flowers and spreckled leaves. They are mostly late spring or summer bloomers and their flower time is limited compared to the reliable white calla.
One of the most colorful winter flowers is the bird-of-paradise, also a South African native. For a long time the big bush with its strapping green leaves just sits there filling up space. Then in the coolness of winter the most amazing thing happens: the flowers appear. Bird-of-paradise gets its name from gorgeous flowers that combine orange, blue and white and resemble a crested tropical bird.
A little fertilizer and a little water in summer keep the plant healthy. No thinning is needed because a crowded plant blooms best. If you decide to transplant your bird-of-paradise, it will go into a snit and not bloom again for a couple of years.
Soon other flowering plants will start their cycle. Watch particularly for the camellias, which seem to be loaded with flowers buds this season.
