Colour can be hard to come by in the Winter garden and is often derived from foliage, bark and seed heads rather than from flowers. However there is a handful of brave souls which choose to flower in the depths of Winter. For example, Jasminum nudiflorum, produces its bright butter yellow flowers over several months from late Autumn through to Spring. It is unfussy and will grow happily against a wall or fence facing any direction. Mahonias are especially valuable, with clusters of primrose yellow spikelets from November to January according to the variety grown. It also benefits from handsome evergreen foliage, adored by flower arrangers. Sarcococca or “Christmas Box” is a small evergreen lime tolerant shrub with clusters of tiny but fragrant creamy white flowers which open in late Winter. Viburnum x bodnantense is a beautiful hybrid raised at Bodnant Gardens in 1935 with a strong upright habit with clusters of pale pink sweetly fragrant flowers adorning the naked branches. Prunus subhirtella “Autumnalis” is a Winter flowering cherry blossom and can grow up to 7m in height. Flowering often begins as early as November and can continue intermittently until March. Flowers are small, semi double and very pale pink. Garrya elliptica is a very handsome evergreen shrub with olive green foliage and long greyish green catkins during January and February. Witchhazels (Hamamelis sp.) are always eager to please as soon as Christmas is out of the way with curious tufts of saffron like flowers in shades of yellow, orange and red. Winter flowering heathers (Erica carnea and Erica x darleyensis) flower over many months from November until April and provide an invaluable source of nectar for bees at a time when flowers are scarce. Helleborus niger, the Christmas Rose is one of several Winter flowering hellebores, and the diminutive Cyclamen coum, typically with tiny cerise flowers, will produce a carpet of flowers and foliage under trees in January.

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