Some of us feel that just because it is winter that we can not plant winter flowers. There are some flowers that we can plant for a winter garden that will bloom all the through March. It may be true that flowers are very rare in extremely cold climates but there are some that are so hardy they can push through the frozen soil and a blanket of snow. There are many flowers that will endure through cool weather but there are only a few that will make it in very cold temperatures.  

If the ground you are working with has already had a frost and will probably get another one it is probably too cold for a winter garden. If you have had one frost already and you do not expect another you may have a better chance. The biggest question is when will the freezing stop?  

One way to get started with a winter garden is to plant a few hardy shrubs that have some brightly colored berries and there are some that will flower. Witch hazel is a flowering shrub that is very hardy and will probably bloom in December and January; they are so strong that you will notice that they still have their flowers during the snow and ice. The flower colors are usually red or yellow and have a spicy fragrance.

There are only a few superior winter roses available that will bloom in January and February and they are the Christmas Rose, Lantern Rose and the Ivory Prince. The colors of these rose range from a creamy ivory and a burgundy to a pale green. Pink Dawn Vibernum winter flowers bloom from October all the way through March and have an almond bouquet.

The holly bush has beautiful dark green leaves and brilliant red berries, these bushes add some wonderful color to any winter garden. Some people think that if you plant holly bushes under your windows no one will break in through the windows because the leaves of the holly bush have sharp pointed edges. A different type of bush is the Gauthier bush, it is also know as wintergreen, the berries on this bush are a burgundy color and are edible and they taste like wintergreen. Two shrubs that are related are the callicarpa, which has vivid purple berries, and the photinia, which has deep red berries; these two shrubs will last all winter long. In milder climates, rosemary will sometimes bloom during the winter.

You can plant ornamental cabbages, they are available in varying colors, textures, and depths, but they do not flower. The foliage colors on these cabbages will range different shades of green to a soft yellow, lilacs and purples. The heath is probably the strongest winter flower; they can withstand icy cold temperatures as low as -25 F. These are beautiful evergreens that have a tiny flower that is bell shaped and come in light pink, red, purple, and magenta and will bloom during fall, winter and spring. If you are a gardener who wants a larger selection of blossoms, you may want to stay with your spring and summer garden or an investment in a greenhouse would be an option.

All these berries and blossoms work very hard during the winter so we can have some color in the winter. Seeing winter flowers coming through a blanket of snow is quite a sight to see.