Living in the South brings more gardening opportunities in the winter. Even when cold weather turns your backyard into a winter wonderland, you can add pops of color to the landscape with flowers. The best blooms for winter gardens withstand cold temperatures. Here’s a closer look at how to enjoy a beautiful property regardless of the season.

3 Types of Flowers That Thrive in a Winter Garden

1. Yellow Varieties

Keep a reminder of the sun in your yard on the dreariest winter days with yellow flowers such as the English primrose. The small, yellow roses bloom during the coldest months of the year, unlike other primrose varieties.

Winter jasmine is another example. This flower may not feature the jasmine scent, but its small, yellow blooms look gorgeous against white backdrops. Plant English primrose in partial shade for mid- to late-winter blooming and winter jasmine in full sun for color in January.

2. Red Blooms

Add vibrant red hues to your wintertime gardens with kaffir lilies, camellias, and holly bushes. Kaffir lilies come in red-orange as well as red tones, with the red varieties featuring six relatively broad petals on each stalk.

Camellia bushes feature rose-like flowers in many colors, including red. Holly bushes include the well-known red berries that complement dark green leaves with sharp, pointed ends.

Plant kaffir lilies when there’s no severe threat of frost for late-winter to early-spring blooming in partial to full sun. Enjoy camellias from late fall to early spring thanks to a long blooming time—find a partially shady area of your property with acidic soil for best results. Place holly bushes in full sun with slightly acidic, well-draining soil.

3. Purple & Pink Varieties

Dot your winter landscape with purple and pink flowers this season, such as sweet alyssum, hellebore, and phlox. Sweet alyssum withstands light frost and features light purple blooms that can make attractive groundcover depending on height, while many hellebore hybrids bloom throughout winter and feature an exotic appearance with wavy-edged petals. Small phlox flowers include pink varieties with white centers that also bloom all winter long.

Choose a partial- to full-sun yard section with well-draining soil for sweet alyssum. For hellebore, use rich, well-draining soil in partial shade. Plant phlox in the same type of soil when the threat of frost has passed. Depending on the species, phlox may thrive with partial or full sun exposure. 

Discuss these and other winter flowers with the experts at Lexington Florist. Specializing in flower arrangements for every season and occasion, this Kentucky florist also sells potted plants and gift baskets. Call (803) 359-6097 today to arrange a delivery or browse the online gallery. Visit Yelp for the latest reviews.