Ideal Plants For a Hardy Winter

A splash of colour will always relive the dark and dreary winter weather. Choosing plants that have foliage and flowers will make the cold and dark seem far more bearable.

But the first thing to remember is that even though the plants you buy are hardy to winter, they do need to become acclimatised. If you buy polyanthus or pansies from a garden centre ensconced in Christmas time warmth, these plants will need time to become acclimatised to the cold outdoors.

Prior to planting them out in patio circles or a rockery, leave them outside during the warmer times of the day for a few days and then bring them back indoors. After about four days, they will be ready for planting outdoors.

The best plants are the “frilly mix” or bellis perennis, which can grow in two-coloured blooms up to eight inches in height. Never forget sylva, the traditional forget-me-not that also comes in pink and white as well as the traditional blue flowers.

Best flowers

Primroses, violas and wallflowers are the real stock in trade for winter plants, in addition to the old traditional stand-bys of pansies and polyanthus. These last two are some of the most weather-resistant blooms available and can grow up to eight or nine inches in height.

Lights and watering

It’s also important to remember that plants do not grow very much during winter. So buy the size of plant you need from the outset. Then place it in a location where it will have the longest amount of sunlight, always in scarce supply during the winter months.

Watering is vital. Both under watering or over watering can cause dire problems in the winter. Just raise the plants or plant containers above the ground. In patio circles this can be achieved by placing a few bricks under the plants to help with drainage.

And finally, remember that it’s is not necessary to feed plants at this time of the year.