As crisp fall days turn short and dark, I know winter is here. My mind races toward the garden: how do I maintain a little color to get me through to spring?
I love cozying up to a fire with a good book and a cup of tea as much as the next person, but to be satisfied I need to venture outside daily. This means chilly, bundled-up walks to see what’s happening in the world, even on the coldest grey – or snow white – day of winter.
It also means appreciating the cold-weather beauties in my garden with color enough to withstand winter’s still, silent heart.
Here are a few of my favorite plants with enough grace & grit to see you through an Asheville winter, when our Blue Ridge Mountains are sleeping beneath their grey fur of dormant forest.
Winter Pansies
Pansies are a cold weather must! Contrary to any old-fashioned association with their name, these mighty little flowers face all manner of winter hardship, bouncing back with bright, lion-faced smiles and a mild, sweet fragrance.
I plant pansies in late fall in a dense, colorful swath around our Kousa dogwood tree during its barest months. They make our front walkway a delight until early spring daffodils, muscari, and crocus push through to join the party!
I also plant pansies in porch containers scattered amidst lettuces, chard and kale, all of which add freshness to winter cooking (pansy flowers are edible:) Read more about growing winter pansies here.
Hardy Euphorbia
I love euphorbia and grow different sorts, but the two that really show up in the winter garden are Ascot’s Rainbow and Blackbird. These euphorbias are evergreen perennials, shrub-like and sculptural, and nicely resilient in our Asheville winter.
Ascot’s Rainbow and Blackbird each offer a sophisticated palette with colors ranging from flushed pink with creamy yellow margins (Ascot’s Rainbow) to a pleasing maroon or wine-burgundy contrasted by bright lime green flowers in spring (Blackbird.)
I plant Ascot’s Rainbow near my small evergreens, such as ‘Picola’ Dwarf Umbrella Pine, where they contrast the deep, dark of woodsy pine with their watercolor wash all winter long. Beautiful!
Hellebores
Hellebores (aka Lenten Roses) are some of the first hardy perennials I planted in my winter garden. I spent an entire year obsessed, researching their care, scouring for deals (hellebores are pricey!) and seeking out the liveliest colors.
You can find hellebores in many hues and shapes; below are a few of my favorites. Just know that Hellebores are subtle flowers that bloom in the coldest months, offering a muted color palette with downturned blossom faces (the better to protect themselves from harsh winter winds.)
My first choice is H. Niger, aka the Christmas Rose, because of its early bloom time. This is a prolific, pure white hellebore, worth having in the garden, or planted in a container, where it can serve as an elegant centerpiece for a holiday meal.
Another beauty is Anna’s Red with striking purplish-red flowers and creamy yellow stamens. Winter Bells and Pirouette both produce masses of greenish-white blooms with delicate pink-hued edges. Sandy Shores is a speckled, charming, pinky-yellow hellebore that brightens up shady spots.
You can leave hellebores in their bushy natural state, or if you wish to see the flowers to best advantage, you can prune the leaves all around, leaving a central mass of blooms on view.
Fuyu Persimmon Tree
It is thrilling it is to behold a persimmon tree in the stark cold of winter. The Fuyu persimmon is like a queen adorned by many bright baubles of fiery orange, causing a passerby to ask, “Is that a tree full of mini pumpkins?”
No! It’s a persimmon tree shorn of leaves, speckled by bright orange persimmon fruits that my family enjoys eating all fall into early winter. Each year, I bring a bunch of these beauties to our family gathering for Thanksgiving!
A Fuyu persimmon is a brilliant cold weather delight here in Asheville. Do keep in mind that persimmons take quite a while to start setting fruit, so get yours in the ground now. Read more about persimmon trees here.
Camellias
Camellias may be an old-fashioned beauty, but in winter they certainly take center stage. Recent camellia cultivars are bred specifically to withstand the rigors of winter from the ‘April’ series of spring-bloomers developed by Dr. Clifford Parks, to the ‘Winter’ series of fall-bloomers developed by William Ackerman.
I planted “King’s Ransom,” a lovely pink camellia, in my backyard and it’s produced spectacular blooms every winter. Now I want to add ‘Ella Ward Parsons’ and ‘Winter’s Toughie,’ two different but equally striking pink camellias.
Camellias come in many shapes, sizes and colors, so take a little time to research which varietals thrive locally. Reems Creek Nursery is a reliable source for camellias that can flower right through an Asheville winter.
Red Twig & Yellow Twig Dogwoods
Twig dogwood shrubs are happily native to the Asheville area. Once they’ve shed their bright-green summer leaves, a striking array of bright red, orange, or yellow twigs is left to adorn the grey of winter.
These winter-perfect shrubs are amazing planted en masse against a fresh bank of white snow, where they create a mystical sense of nature’s power. I’ve planted red twig dogwoods in our backyard, their stark beauty nourishing all winter long.
The red twig dogwood is a deciduous, loose-spreading shrub, growing 6-12 ft. tall, with a dark red, shiny bark in winter. Yellow twig dogwood is likewise a deciduous flowering shrub (though a rapid-growing, many-stemmed cultivar of the red twig dogwood) boosting bright yellow stems, and growing up to 5-6 ft tall.
Paperbush
Paperbush (aka Edgeworthia Crysantha), a shrub native to China, combines a superb, sculptural form with an intoxicating, gardenia-like fragrance emanating from its pale yellow cream, tightly-bunched flowers.
Paperbush creates these lovely blooms on completely bare branches in the depth of winter, wafting a heavenly scent around. It really is such a beautiful shrub, and can resemble an elegant, dwarf-like tree depending on how you prune it.
I added this winter beauty to my garden last year, planting it near our patio where we could inhale its scent most easily. I’m thrilled to say it survived an extreme cold snap during last year’s winter, and is living its best life in our backyard!
Quick Tips on Planting Well for Winter
If you add cool weather creatures to your garden to whistle your way though a long, dark winter, you won’t regret it. However, some of these plants do require different methods to get started.
- Wait for cool weather to get pansies is the ground. Pansies love the cool but can’t tolerate much heat, so, depending on how summer fades away I’ll wait until October (or even later) to plant my winter pansies.
- Most perennials and shrubs can be planted in either spring or fall, but to give hardy plants the very best chance to withstand winter’s rigors, plant them in springtime. This way, your new plants have time to put down deep root systems and build up enough growth to make it though their first snow. Keep all new plants well-watered (especially camellias and paperbush) throughout the first year.
- Hellebores are an exception to the rule above; they can be planted anytime in fall and will likely fare just fine over winter.
- Mulch around the base of your winter beauties, especially paperbush, which can suffer in the cold. Mulch serves as a cozy comforter, adding a layer of warmth and protection during freezes, and holding in moisture during the dry days of winter. Just remember, don’t mulch too heavily at a plant’s base; leave a slim circle of “breathing room” where the plant meets the ground.
- If you decide to plant a Fuyu persimmon tree, keep in mind that it takes 3-5 years to start setting fruit. Yes, a long wait but so worth it!