Create a garden that is distinctive and colorful by selecting plants that bloom during the winter months. Heavy snowfall or extreme cold temperatures can delay the flowering process. Choose perennial plants that will survive your specific U.S. Department of Agricultural hardiness zone. Perennial plants, once established, return to the garden every year. Plant a variety of shrubs, trees and perennials with bloom times that overlap one another to get the most color out of your winter garden plants.
Hellebore
One of the most reliable flowering plants for those in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8, are hellebores. Some varieties begin blooming as early as November. Once established, which can take 3 years or longer, hellebores are long-lived, care-free shade garden plants that will self-seed. The foliage often dies back during the heat of the summer, so plant these near hosta or other plants that will fill in the bare areas and hide the dying foliage.
Holly
Holly is a very diverse plant that usually requires the presence of both a male and female plant to produce its bright red berries, although some newer cultivars are self-pollinating. While some varieties of holly are evergreen, others are deciduous, which means they will lose their leaves during the winter. Hollies prefer growing in acidic soil that is rich in organic matter and well-drained. Hollies vary considerably in both hardiness and height.
Mahonia
Add color and fragrance to the mid-winter garden by planting Mahonia. This plant bursts into bloom in January, emitting a sweet smell and attracting a variety of native bees that devour the nectar. By summer the faded flowers are replaced by steel-blue berries that attract hungry birds. Mahonia is an evergreen plant that, once established, is drought-tolerant. Depending on the exact variety, Mahonia is hardy is USDA hardiness zones 6 through 10.
Witch Hazel
The fragrant, confetti-like yellow, orange or red blooms on the bare branches of the witch hazel are hard to miss during the winter months. The witch hazel shrub is often pruned into a tree form. January through March is the period when most witch hazels bloom; however, Christmas Cheer usually begins blooming in mid-December. Choose several varieties to extend the bloom period. Plant witch hazel in a sheltered spot that is rich in organic matter and slightly acidic, within plain view of a window. These plants are slow-growing and reach an average height of 10 to 15 feet. Witch hazels are hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9.
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