An attractive garden in winter

Some plants see in winter the right time to flower when other show their best light. Associated with plants which stay looking beautiful in winter, it is not difficult to have an attractive-looking garden, even in this season!

An Acer griseum (Japanese Maple) under the snow, luminous!

A purple-flowering Loropetalum.

The plants which blossom in winter
They are not numerous but its worthwhile looking at them: they often flower over a long period of time. White Helleborus are thought of being reliable, like the Bergenias (Large-leaved Saxifrage) which grow well in their company, a little bit in the shade. But it is mostly amongst the shrubs that you will find the largest diversity of winter-flowering plants. The fine flowers of the Loropetalum, the stars of the Jasminum nudiflorum, the pink winter-flowering Prunus ( Prunus subhirtella), the Lamb's tails of the Corylus maxima purpurea (Filbert) have just as many delicate blossoms. Winter-flowering plants allow linking up the last fires of autumn (if the frost doesn't come too early) and the first spring-blossoms (as soon as the snow-drops arrive).

And fragranced with it
A lot of winter-flowering shrubs are fragranced like the winter-flowering Lonicera (Honeysuckle), the Hamamelis (Witch Hazel), the Mimosa (for milder climates), Daphne… Plant them near the house or near pathways to enjoy and make the most of their sweet scent during nice days

The Cornus 'Winter Flame': Its name suits it well!

Beautiful barks
When the leaves have disappeared, they show their bark, in very bright colours or highly interesting texture-effects. The most coloured barks are found in Cornus and Willows. Pruning them harshly every two years in the spring allow them to keep young, bright stem. As for the essences of which the bark offers a beautiful texture, there is the Birch (do you know that it prunes very well?), and also the Maples with their bark which looks like parchment (like the Japanese Maple - Acer griseum) or snake skin (for example the Acer davidii). Plant them further away from the house to enjoy their sight from the distance. Grown accompanied with big ornamental grasses, it is a true winter-splendour.

Dried ornamental grasses catch the low light and play with the wind.

Plants which metamorphose
They are green throughout the summer but when the colder season arrives, they change colour. These chameleon-plants are real treasures for the garden. The variegated Spindle tree and the common Mahonia, in particular adorn beautiful purple colours up to April. As for Eulalia grasses (Miscanthus) they take on tawny and orangey colours. Grown a Red Cornus in the company of an ornamental grass and a Mahonia: you cannot miss the sight!

Plant and organize
The most complicated is finally to find the right spot where to create a winter-scene that is of interest, as in winter, we often enjoy the garden…. from behind the windows-panes. Therefore, organize the scenery so that you can see it from a window. And do not forget to take into account the seasons' successions in including plants which blossom in summer so that the whole of the scenery is interesting throughout the year. This could almost make you forget that it is the winter!