A Beginners Guide to A Garden Full of Flowers – whatever the Season

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There are many things to love about winter. It is picture perfect in some regards, with sparkling Christmas lights and decorations lighting up every house. Yet even this beauty cannot distract from the fact that nature has become dormant. The trees are bare, the golden leaves of autumn long fallen. The flowers are in hibernation and the air is no longer thick with bees and butterflies going about their business.

Something that winter lacks is natural colour. Spring is lush greenery, budding flowers and the promise of warmth to come. Summer is all bleached whites and yellows, and then as flowers bloom every colour of the rainbow. Autumn brings the coppers, browns and warm red hues. And winter has – nothing. White, barren landscapes or the dark grey of the cloud cover. No wonder it’s the season we use put up fairy lights during; we need them to survive.

If you have enjoyed a fruitful summer in the garden, then the prospect of winter can be like a culture shock waiting to happen. If you want some natural colour to see you through to the coming of spring, then there are some flowers that flower during the winter months. You may be thinking of holly at this point, but this needs to be planted in spring. The ones mentioned below can be planted right now and will flower through this winter to come. If you just want the flowers without all the work, Flowers Across Sydney might be worth a look.

Cyclamen

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A pretty tall flower that comes in a variety of colours, including pastel and lilac shades. It’s easy to grow due to how hardy it is, and can be planted at any time excluding summer. Wait for the days to cool and then sow directly outdoors in clusters.

Crocuses

Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=486825

Crocuses are small flowers that are best planted in groups, otherwise their small stature can be lost in the landscape. Plant as soon as possible, ideally up to six weeks prior to the first hard frost. You have got plenty of colours to choose from. They should begin to bloom mid-winter and will stay colourful through into spring.

For an extra benefit, choose saffron crocuses. The horticultural name is crocus sativus, so make sure you’re buying the correct ones. Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, but you can save a fortune by growing your own. They can be planted now and will bloom their purple flowers before winter, and you can be using the spice for Christmas. They can be a little more sensitive to cold, so options such as timber greenhouses or cultivators should be considered for their early weeks.

Winter Jasmine

As the name would suggest, this is a specific variety of jasmine which blooms through winter. However, it may not do so this year. If you can find an established plant and plant it out now, then it should bloom for you this winter. If you’re growing from bulbs, then you will not see flowers emerge until next year. In the mean time, there is pretty green foliage to enjoy – and you’ll have a reason to look forward to next winter, too!

While it is wonderful to think of a garden blooming with colour in winter, there is also time for a little preparation for spring. It can be gratifying to know, in the depths of the dark months, that you have already sown the plants that will make things come to life when spring comes.

Calendula

Also known as Marigolds, Calendula are some of the most beautiful and easy to grow flowers available. They are also affordable so that you can have blooms without the cost attached to them.

Not only are they beautiful, but Calendula have a significant medicinal quality as well. They have long been used in an oil preparation for skin ailments and are particularly beneficial for eczema and psoriasis.

They are best sown in a cold frame, which protects any young flowers against the most severe of the winter frosts. You can also use a greenhouse or start them indoors. By sowing in early autumn, you will guarantee a spectacular array by the time spring arrives.

Lupins

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One of the most interesting flowers and a staple of the cottage garden look, lupins can be sown at the end of summer to bloom next year. One of out favourites, we always have lupins whichever house we’ve been in. They will benefit from cold frame protection also, though a garden shed or even just a box outdoors can work just as well.

Hollyhocks

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Another cottage garden favourite, hollyhocks can also be begun in the same conditions as lupins and calendula.

You can also start some flowers now that can be direct sown outdoors. While preparation is always important, it’s especially so for flowers that are going to be left outdoors to see through the winter. Sow deep into flower beds or used raised beds. You want to plant bulbs low in the soil, so they have some insulation against the worst of the cold.

Preparation

It’s also worth protecting young plants and shoots from scavengers. Squirrels are particularly fond of yearlings, though hardy bugs and creepy crawlies won’t mind a nibble. You can use cloches to protect or horticultural fleece, which has the extra benefit of providing a little extra warmth.

Prepare the bed with a mixture of good quality soil and compost. Mix a little fish, blood, and bone into the mix to encourage good flowering from the off, so you can guarantee flowering by the time spring arrives.

While the below flowers can be sown directly outdoors, you can protect them in their early stages by growing indoors. All they need is a sunny windowsill. If you wish to go down the cultivator route, this can speed things up, but it is an added expense. You can place seeds into empty egg cartons for a sustainable method of growth, then plant out when they are a couple of inches high. This is only an option for the forthcoming plants – they can all be placed directly outside from seed if you prefer.

There are a variety of plants that can handle being left to over winter, so it depends on what you would prefer.

Cornflowers

Beautiful flowers so well known they are named in a shade of blue, cornflowers tend to bloom towards the end of spring. By sowing now, you should begin to see flowers a little earlier.

Poppies

While poppies are synonymous with remembrance, they tend to bloom in spring. To encourage their bright red flowers earlier in the year, sow at this point in the year. They can tolerate frost, but may benefit from being protected with fleece if freezing temperatures linger for a long stretch.

Tulips

Book this one into your diary. The national flower of Holland is one of the prettiest, and fortunately easiest, to grow. They reach maturity in spring and work best when they are sown directly into the ground in November. A firm favourite of mine, I have bulbs that bloom year after year. You can still do all the bed preparation work now, however.

How To Place Bulbs

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If you have never planted flower bulbs before, then there’re a few starter tips to encourage success with all of the above.

• The depth a bulb should be placed depends on the flower. Most will want to be deep but check the packaging. Use a ruler into the soil to ensure you’re not going too far.
• Bulbs should be planted with the shoot facing upwards. This is the little almost triangular peak on one part of the bulb so that it can grow through the soil rather than sideways. In the case of small bulbs, use tweezers to place into soil.
• Do not over-water bulbs when they are in place. All are susceptible to rotting if they become too damp, so water sparsely.

Here’s to a thriving garden through all seasons!

Disclosure: this is a collaborative post, all opinions are my own.

 

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