Winter is not a season we associate with gardening, even in Tennessee where winters can be relatively mild. But just because it’s harder to find plants for your landscape this winter doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Read on to learn about some of the cold weather options you can plant today.
Plants and Flowers You Can Plant in the Winter
Violas and Pansies
Finding hardy flowers and plants that actually stay green in the winter, and in many cases bloom with flowers, is easier than you think. While you don’t often see colorful winter landscaping, it’s not due to a lack of options. Instead, most people just don’t think to try to grow flowers in the winter. But plants that grow in winter are out there, especially in a milder area like Nashville. Violas and pansies are two colorful floral options that can blossom in the colder months of the year, giving your yard a much needed pop of color.
Pansies start blooming in the summer and extend all the way through winter. In milder climates, which Nashville is known for, pansies can be vibrant through the fall and into winter. These flowers have relatively wide spread, making them perfect ground cover to fill out an otherwise mostly empty flower bed. While they don’t need as much watering in the winter, they do require sunlight and some moisture if things stay too dry.
Violas are another great winter bloomer, usually flowering in the late winter. Close relatives to the pansy, these flowers are colorful and vibrant, and are a welcome sight poking through the snow. They’re a great indicator that winter is coming to a close, and provide a great deal of color when other plants haven’t even started waking up.
Snowdrops and Hellebores
What plants can survive the cold winter better than one literally named “snowdrops?” Snowdrops get their name for their distinctive white color, and dramatic, drooping bud. Planted in the late fall, these beautiful flowers crop up in the late winter and early spring. Like violas and pansies, these can begin blooming while snow is still on the ground, and they’re sure to liven things up in your yard. Unlike violas and pansies, snowdrops are perennial flowers. This means that once you plant a bulb, you can expect it to bloom each and every year as long as it’s well-maintained. These flowers don’t require a great deal of sunlight and can grow in the shade of bushes and other plants, only making them stronger contenders for the best winter flower.
Another perennial, the hellebore is a type of rose that also grows in cold weather. Also called lenten roses, hellebores can be planted in the fall, and bloom as early as February here. Unlike snowdrops, hellebores vary in color, from vibrant pinks and purples to paler, richer shades, and other colors like yellow and red. One variety of hellebores is commonly referred to as the Christmas Rose, for its unusual December blooms. Perennials are a great option for providing lasting winter color to your landscape, and these two really shine in our area.
Evergreens and Deciduous Trees
Deciduous trees are dormant in the winter as they’ve shed their leaves, focusing instead on reserving nutrients and expanding growth to the roots and trunk. But the best time of year to plant deciduous trees is actually in the fall and winter. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, these trees should be planted when the weather is cool and their leaves aren’t growing. This gives the newly transplanted tree more energy to focus on establishing a healthy root system, as resources are limited in the cold.
What other landscaping plants grow in winter? Evergreen trees are of course an excellent source of color in the dreary winter for your landscaping. Aptly named, these trees remain green all year round, and can even sport colorful “berries” or vibrant pinecones, which act as their seeds. Common evergreens include spruces, cypresses, and junipers, though there are even more options beyond these. Each of these groups of evergreen trees are considered coniferous, which means they bear needles and cones rather than leaves and seeds. Many juniper trees have “berries,” which can supplement the vibrant and dark green their needles already provide. Though they’re referred to as berries colloquially, they actually are cones. These are the female seeds of the plant, and just happen to resemble berries in texture and appearance. Juniper berries closely resemble blueberries in shape and color, but are generally a bit smaller than what you’ll find in the produce aisle of your grocery store. While juniper berries aren’t technically fruit, they can be used in baking and distilling alcohol. Junipers provide a practical use along with an aesthetic boost to any winter landscape.
Evergreens aren’t the only plants that can provide color in your landscaping. Winterberry holly is a type of deciduous shrub that grows natively in Tennessee. Unlike evergreens, the holly does drop its leaves, but not before putting on a wonderful autumn display of reds and deep purples. Once winter sets in, the holly grows a dazzling display of vibrant red berries that complement evergreens and grow alongside them very well.
Planting With the Pros This Winter
Worried about making the right decisions when it comes to planting flowers, shrubs, and trees that grow in the winter? Winter landscaping services in your area are more affordable than you might think. The Parke Company has decades of experience working in the Nashville area, and that experience will work to your benefit. We can handle the planning, and the planting of your winter landscaping this year, so you can enjoy all the wintry colors without getting your hands dirty.
If you’re ready to learn more about how The Parke Company can help, give us a call today. We provide free consultations and estimates, and we’re confident we can make your winter landscaping dreams a reality this holiday season.