There’s no reason for your garden to look dreary this winter. Create a kaleidoscope of colour, either in beds or in containers, around your house and garden. We have picked out our Top 10 winter plants to add to your garden.
Pansies are an all-time winter favourite. They are vibrant and easy to grow and flower throughout winter in most of South Africa. They love sunny spots and are perfect for hanging baskets and all kinds of containers, and they come in an amazing array of colours. Pansies are cold and frost hardy and the seedlings provide instant colour to your garden.
Viola, also called the baby Pansy, are another instant show-stopper in your winter garden. It is resistant to extreme temperatures and its colourful show of small flowers will brighten up any area in your garden. They are easy to grow and flower profusely throughout the winter season. They give a spectacular show in hanging baskets and containers.
Euphorbia Hybrid Pink Lipstick with its large, pink bright flowers grows up to 1m when planted in the soil and smaller in a pot. It has large, lush green leaves and clusters of beautiful pink flowers on long stems above the leaves. They bloom late winter through to autumn.
Camellias are lovely shrubs with dark green glossy foliage that will bring colour to the shady areas of your garden in winter. There are a variety of colours, ranging from pale pink to bright red. Camellias flower from late autumn until spring.
Erysimum kewensis, or Wall Flower, is a herbaceous perennial with bright yellow, orange and purple flowers that flowers throughout the year. Wallflowers prefer full sun, grow in most soil types and will tolerate some shade.
Leptospermum ‘Cherry Brandy’ or Dwarf Tea Bush is a show-stopper in full bloom. It is at its showiest during August and September. This cold and frost hardy bush prefers full sun and is smothered in small cherry-red flowers during most of the winter.
Aloe Peri-Peri produces masses of hot orange flowers. This stunning aloe has an unusually long flowering period from April to June. It is drought-resistant and attracts a multitude of birds, bees and butterflies.
Strelitzia, or Crane Flower’ makes a stunning focal point in your winter garden. This multi-stemmed plant with its distinctive vivid orange and purple-blue flowers grows up to 1.5 m in full sun and semi-shade. Strelitzia is evergreen and does not need a lot of water.
Gazania, one of South Africa’s treasured indigenous flowers, is an extremely showy ground cover when it flowers. The big flowers with warm, bright colour are on show from August to January. Gazanias are easy to grow and don’t need a lot of water. They are available in a wide array of colours and will make your garden burst with colour.
Spekboom Portulacaria afra might not flower, but its lime green succulent leaves make for a green show wherever you plant it. These incredible plants should be planted in every garden. Spekboom helps fight air pollution. It has the ability to ‘capture’ carbon in the atmosphere. It needs very little water and this evergreen plant is ideal for low-maintenance gardens.
So, why not choose your winter plant crop from Greenside Nursery now, and see your winter garden come to life. Happy planting!