The hot, balmy days of summer are on the way out but that doesn’t mean you have to put away your gardening tools. On the contrary! There are plenty of winter flowers and plants that can perk up your drab garden when it goes dormant. From plants that make beautiful edging to flowers that steal the scene, we’ve got enough suggestions to keep you busy until spring rolls around again.
Lily of the Valley
These dainty, lush flowering shrubs prefer colder climates and thrive under the shade of trees. Their delicate bell-shaped flowers hang like tassels and come in shades of ivory to blush pink. They have an incredible fragrance and are extremely popular in bridal bouquets. When they aren’t in bloom, their deep emerald leaves make for pretty ground cover.
Pops of Purple
Nothing breaks the winter blues like brilliant purples and deep blues. Plus, even if you don’t have the greenest of thumbs, these three flowers are so hardy you’ll be hard pressed to kill them. Pig Face is a purple, daisy-like flower that looks just as good as ground cover as it does in hanging baskets. Limonium, also called “Perezii Blue,” has clusters of tiny purple flowers, which it displays all year long. Centrademia rounds out our list of purple winter flowers, and looks best in hanging baskets with its purple flowers cascading down.
Wattles for the Win
Why not go native when it comes to winter gardening? Golden wattles, Mallee wattles, Sydney golden wattles, and black wattles typically flower in late winter, with their fluffy balls of flowers resembling patches of sunlight. The wattle is a tree, so keep in mind the time it will take to grow if you want to plant a sapling on your property.
Lavender
Lavender isn’t just beautiful to look at; it has the perfumed scent to match. Lavenders are native to the Mediterranean, but in Australia they flower abundantly during the winter. Not only will lavender liven up your garden, when dried it makes an excellent addition to the herbs in your kitchen.
Pansies
When it comes to the most colourful winter-blooming flower of all, pansies take the prize every time. To encourage growth and keep your pansies blooming as long as possible, pick the flowers and put them in a vase, or simply remove the dead, faded flowers (called deadheading).
Good luck and happy gardening!
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