Celebrate the New Year by daubing the garden with winter colour to complement faithful snowdrops, says AG expert, Sue Bradley.
There’s no better signal that spring is on its way than the snowdrop. The graceful yet steely flower that thrusts its way valiantly through the frozen soil to fill gardeners with much-needed hope in the dark depths of January and February.
Yet while we’re well used to seeing drifts of white blooms at this time of year, there’s no reason why we can’t inject a few extra colours into our beds and borders, an entire chorus of vibrant blooms keen to share the spotlight. From the vibrant yellows of winter aconites and early daffodils to the purple hues of some hellebore and crocus cultivars, there are many winter blooms ready to join snowdrops in taking our minds off the gloomier days.
Most will happily share freedraining, moist soils in sunny spots and almost all will keep coming back year after year; often multiplying to create increasingly stunning displays.
Come January and February, a visit to a garden centre or nursery can yield perky pots of plants in full bloom that offer quick and easy fixes of instant colour for borders and containers alike. More often than not, however, it’s cheaper to take a longer view and plant bulbs, corms and perennials earlier in the year, while winter aconites, like snowdrops, are best planted ‘in the green’, once they’ve finished flowering.
As the late winter display of snowdrops begins to fade, maintain the excitement with charming displays of dainty flowers such as leucojum, chinodoxa, and Siberian squill, which will pave the way for daffodils, bluebells and tulips.
We spend a lot of time cooped up at home in January and February, which makes these months an especially good period to fill the garden with colour and cheer ahead of spring.
9 colourful late winter blooms
Hardy cyclamen Cyclamen coum produces dainty yet robust flowers in pink, white or red from January to March, while its attractive, often silver-streaked foliage prolongs its season of interest. This plant does well in full sun but prefers partial shade. Numbers will multiply from selfseeding and it’s great for naturalising in grass. Mulch the tubers with leaf mould to prevent them from drying out during the summer or becoming chilled in winter.
Size: 8cm (3ins)
Spread: 10cm (4ins)
Flower colour: white, red, pink
Leaf colour: Green with silver markings
Plant: September/October or buy when flowering.
Cheery winter aconite Eranthis hyemalis can’t fail to raise a smile, with its tight buds opening into gloriously sunny yellow blooms set off by rich green ruffs. This lowgrowing perennial looks sensational when several come together to form a golden carpet, and they are the perfect partner for snowdrops. They are particu
