Winter is the time to rest in the garden. All the gardening work is already behind us and we are waiting for the new growing season. Fortunately, even in this grayish period, some shrubs come to life and delight with their flowers.Winter flowering shrubsmake our garden attractive all year round. Here are the most interestingwinter flowering ornamental shrubsCheck which ones will be suitable for your garden!
Winter flowering shrubs - witch hazel
When winter is fully outside the window and a few months separate us from the calendar spring,witch hazel flowers(Hamamelis x intermedia) appear.This shrub requires a sheltered position with moist, well-drained soils and an acid to neutral reaction. Reaches a height of up to 4 m. In autumn the leaves take on warm colors, ranging from yellow to red. Thesewinter-blooming ornamental shrubscome in many varieties.
Yellow-flowered witch hazel
Witch hazel 'Arnold Promise'- is a large, compact shrub. The flowers are intensely yellow, with fringed petals, stay on the plant for a long time.
Witch hazel 'Pallida'- is an early flowering variety. Flowers appear from December until February. They are fragrant, bright yellow, with fringed petals.
Intermediate witch hazel with orange-red and red flowers
Witch hazel 'Diane'- is a shrub with a wide, regular habit. The flowers open in February, are lightly fragrant carmine red in color with wavy, fringed petals.
Witch hazel 'Feuerzauber'- is wide and dense. The flowers appear in February and are wine red in color with fringed petals. Slightly fragrant.
Witch hazel 'Jelena'- this is a shrub with an asymmetric crown. It starts flowering in December until February. It blooms a coppery yellow with fringed petals.
Witch hazel 'Orange Beauty'- is a variety with flowers appearing in December and are orange-red in color with interesting threadlike petals.
Shrubs blooming in winter - laurel wilczełyko
Witch hazel is not the only shrub that blooms in the garden in winter. It is also worth mentioningwawrzynku wilczyłyku- Daphne mezereum. It is a rarewinter-bloomingshrub whose attractive flowers appear before the leaves develop. Reaches approx. 1.5 in height. It blooms pinkish-purple on last year's shoots.If winter is mild, flowering begins in February. Extremely decorative flowers additionally smell.
Note!Apart from interesting flowers, laurel flowers also produce eye-catching fruits. However, you should know that they are very poisonous. Under no circumstances should you eat them. For a young child, just one fruit can be fatal!
Wawrzynek wilczełyko is quite a demanding plant. It only tolerates fertile, fresh and alkaline soils. It grows best in shade or partial shade. It reacts badly to drought, transplanting and cutting. However, it is frost-resistant and can be planted even in regions with cold winters.
Another interestingshrub that blooms in the winterin the garden is viburnum (Viburnum farreri). Kalina is a plant with an upright habit, growing up to 2 m in height. One of the decorative features of this plant is its discoloration. At the beginning of the growing season, they are brown, then greenish, and purple in autumn.Flowers appear even in late December / early January or February. In the buds, they turn slightly pink, then when they develop, they turn white. Another advantage of this plant is the intense scent of flowers. Kalina fragrant does not require large cultivation, but it likes sunny and semi-shaded positions.
Shrubs blooming in winter - world jasmine
When most shrubs are waiting for their vegetation to begin,flower jasmine(Jasminum nudiflorum) begins flowering. It blooms in winter, under favorable conditions, already in February, before the leaves develop. Jasmine is a shrub with a wide habit and slender shoots which, hanging freely, become an unusual decoration of the garden. It grows up to 1.5 m in height. The flowers turn yellow and are embedded in the axils of still undeveloped leaves. In April, shiny, decorative dark green leaves start to appear. World jasmine requires fertile, well-drained soils.Prefers a quiet and sheltered position.
Winter flowering shrubs - early winter flower
Otherwinter flowering shrubsin our gardens are the early winter flower (Chimonanthus praecox) and the Chinese hazel (Corylopsis sinensis). Both shrubs bloom even before the leaves develop, additionally smelling beautifully.Early winter flowerblooms yellow with a reddish-brown center. This shrub likes sunny and warm positions as well as moderately moist substrates. The Chinese hazel tree, on the other hand, reaches a height of 2 m. It creates spike inflorescences up to 7 cm long, consisting of a dozen or so small, light yellow flowers.Chinese hazelhas quite high cultivation requirements. It grows well in fertile, humus-rich, moderately moist soils. Prefers warm positions and sheltered from strong winds.
Interesting in terms of flower decorativeness isfragrant honeysuckle(Lonicera fragrantissima) another winter-flowering shrub.Reaches a height of 2-2.5 m. Forms arched branches. The leaves are dark green on the top, bluish green on the underside. Fragrant honeysuckle flowers are white in color, with a delicate pink glow, intensely fragrant. This shrub has low cultivation requirements. It grows well in sun and partial shade. Fertile, well-drained soils will be best for him. Suitable for creating hedges.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
