Our 10 Favourite Winter Flowering Plants for UK Gardens (& When to Plant Them)

02/06/2023 Rob Walter

Winter flowering plants are an excellent way to brighten up your garden during the dark and damp winter months.

Many people find themselves neglecting their outdoor space in winter, but we actually look forward to it every year. Adding a burst of colour and life to an otherwise dull winter garden is the perfect way to keep your spirits up! 

From pretty pansies to signature snowdrops, there are so many beautiful varieties of winter flowers you can grow in your beds and pots to create a winter-ready garden.

We've listed 10 of the best winter flowering plants you can grow in your UK garden for a thriving and colourful winter display. Plus, we've thrown in our advice on when to plant them to ensure a beautiful and blooming garden all winter long.

Pansies – in All the Colours!

Of course, we had to start our list off with these classic winter favourites. Pansies are one of the most popular winter flowering shrubs, typically grown in beds and borders, but still look beautiful in pots too.

There are many colour varieties, including yellow, red, blue, purple, pink and white, so they're truly perfect for introducing a bright and vibrant array of colours to your winter garden. You can mix up your garden beds with different colours, or stick to one or two to create a more cohesive look if you like your garden to be a little more organised-looking.

When you're choosing your pansies, make sure you buy winter-blooming varieties, as some pansies only flower in spring and summer.

Winter Heathers

Winter-flowering heathers are a part of the Ericaceae family and are a great evergreen option for adding colour to your garden in the winter months. There are a fair few different varieties of heathers, with different colours and sizes to choose from.

The most popular winter heathers are Erica Carnea. This evergreen shrub has needle leaves and blooms bell-shaped and tubular flowers in shades of white, pink and purple. Many gardeners love these winter flowers because they're low maintenance and can be grown in just about any garden (even city gardens!).

Winter Cherry Tree

Cherry trees are very well known for their spring blossom, but many varieties also have beautiful winter flowers. If you've got the space, these trees look fantastic in a winter garden and bring a little more height to your outdoor space.

The most popular winter cherry tree is the Prunus Subhirtella, which has a delicate white and pink blossom. This tree will bloom year after year, and it's really something to look forward to every winter.

Christmas Rose (Hellebores)

A classic winter flower, Christmas Rose (also known as Hellebores) is a semi-evergreen perennial white flower. These are a great option for adding an elegant and classic look to your winter garden, as the flowers are really quite delicate-looking.

Arrange them in your beds and borders for a stunning display, or even use them as cut flowers. They're a great addition to winter arrangements when paired with greenery like holly and ivy.

Despite the name Christmas Rose, these winter flowers will probably bloom around January.

Cyclamen are certainly one of the best winter flowering plants, with their gorgeous flowers in shades of pink, red, white and purple. They're a particularly hardy variety, being able to withstand winter frost, making them perfect for UK gardens.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen are perfect for beds, containers and pots, so you can get creative with where you plant them. The most popular colours for this winter flower are pink and white, but you can find many other shades too.

Snowdrops (It Wouldn't Be Winter Without Them)

Snowdrops are perhaps the most iconic and well-known winter flower, as they often crop up in literature and art. They're perfect for creating a woodland feel in your garden and look especially great when grown in larger groups.

They're very easy to grow and can be planted anywhere, but do prefer partial shade. You could pair these with other woodland plants, like cyclamen and heathers, to create a really beautiful winter display.

Winter Honeysuckle

Often referred to as 'Winter Beauty', this deciduous shrub has a wonderful sweet scent and small red or black berries. The flowers may be small, but they really add a pop of winter colour to your garden.

It's recommended that you wear gloves when pruning this shrub, as the bark and berries can cause irritation.

Plant these in walled borders or garden beds and pair them with evergreens for a winter-ready display.

Daffodils – Yes, That's Right!

Yes, daffodils are foremost a spring flower, but some varieties will bloom in the winter months. The Sternbergia lutea is an early-blooming daffodil and looks stunning with its bright yellow petals.

These are fantastic for adding a burst of winter colour and welcoming early spring into your garden.

Winter Jasmine

These winter flowering shrubs are some of the earliest bloomers, and add a really pretty yellow colour to your garden. This jasmine variety is unscented and works incredibly well as a climbing plant. Train it against a trellis or up a wall for a stunning winter-ready display.

They might be more suited to gardeners who have experience in pruning and trellising, but they look incredible when done right.

Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa Forbesii)

Glory of the snow, or Chionodoxa, is a bulbous plant that flowers in early spring, making it the perfect addition to a winter garden to welcome in the new season. They have star-shaped flowers with a stunning blue-purple hue.

These are great for planting in beds and borders, but you can also grow them in pots too. They look especially fantastic when planted with other winter-flowering bulbs like snowdrops and crocuses.

They like to have full sun with dappled shade, so try to find them a spot that gets plenty of morning sunlight.

Tips on Growing Winter Flowering Plants

Whether you're taking inspiration from our favourite 10 winter flowers above or you're choosing your own plants, we've got a couple of tips to help your plants flourish.

Choose Winter Varieties

Many flowers come in a few different varieties that are tailored to different seasons. Make sure you don't make the mistake of buying a spring-flowering variety in winter, as it won't flower until the warmer months come. 

If you're purchasing your flowers online, the product description should make it clear what time of year they'll bloom. If you're getting them from a garden centre, you can ask the staff for advice.

Follow the Specific Growing Advice

Winter flowering plants, as with all types of plants, need to be cared for properly for them to flourish. Each variety will have its own condition preferences, like full-sun, partial shade, and so on.

Read up on the specific care instructions for each type of flower you choose to make sure they have the best chance at growing.

Take Care Not to Overwater

Winter is already a damp period, so make sure you're not over-watering your plants. Many winter flowers will actually rot if they get too much water, so don't be tempted to over-water them!

Gardening Tools for Planting Winter Flowers

Before you get started on planting your winter flowers, you'll want to make sure you've got all the tools ready.

The tools you'll need are: 

• a spade or trowel, for digging holes to plant your flowers
• a garden fork, for aerating the soil
• a watering can or hosepipe, for watering your plants
• a garden knife or secateurs, for pruning and trimming your plants 

And if you need new raised beds and planters to get started, we've got some great recommendations:

Final Thoughts: Best Winter Flowering Plants for UK Gardens

We hope this guide has given you some great ideas for creating a beautiful and colourful winter-ready garden. From snowdrops to cherry trees, there are so many stunning varieties of winter flowering shrubs that will look amazing in your beds and borders.

Remember to check the planting and flowering times so you know when to plant them. And don't forget the right gardening tools and planters from WM James to help your winter flowers flourish.

Good luck! We can't wait to see your winter-ready garden!

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