Camellias come to mind as a favorite winter flowering plant that you can add to your garden. One preferred winter blooming camellia is called japonica and as the name infers, it is native to Japan but widely seen in Korea and China as well. It is also the official state flower of Alabama and also called the rose of winter. Although many hybrids have been developed from the camellia japonica, one of the most beautiful of all camellias is the Alba Plena. The flowers are pure white and extend 3 to 4 inches across. It blooms early winter and can continue blooming into spring. (photo courtesy: wikipedia)

You can also plant American winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and it will add gorgeous color to your garden with its bright red fruit that only ripe in the winter. The American winterberry is a species of holly that is native to eastern North America in the US and southeast of Canada and south to Alabama. During the summer months, the winterberry plant has large green leaves and it blooms with flowers bearing up to eight petals each. When the cool weather approaches, the winterberry will begin to loose its foliage and the plant will display a splash of bright red berries. Those bare branches covered with red berries will add much needed color to your flower garden.

If you don’t want to plant flowers in your garden during the cold weather, plant some in containers inside the house and place them in your window sill. The paperwhite narcissus is a gorgeous plant that is easy to plant in containers and it blooms during the winter. The white flowers come up in bunches and are very fragrant. It is best grown as a house plant and you can force it to bloom around mid December. Unlike other narcissus, paperwhite does not require chilling to promote blooms. The bulbs begin to grow as soon as you plant them and flowers appear in about 3 to 4 weeks. Remember to buy your bulbs from a reputable company like Breck’s for the best quality. Just follow the instructions that are included with your purchase and you will have beautiful flowers properly displayed on your window sill during the winter months. (photo courtesy: wikipedia)

Technorati Tags: camellias, Chrysanthemums, flower garden, Gardening, Narcissus, winterberry holly

For starters, do some research on late blooming flowers and chances are that you will find many varieties. If you like lots of color in your flower garden, choose plants like Zephyranthes Robustus (also known as grandiflora) with gorgeous clear pink flowers. They bloom late summer through fall bearing pink flowers that resemble a lily. The growth is just about ten inches tall and these can be planted on rock gardens or you can mix them with your ground cover plants. The leaves are deep glossy green and the flowers grow straight up giving your flower garden a stunning look. Zephyranthes Robustus likes full sun and medium wet soil. (photo courtesy: wikipedia.com)

Another late blooming flower for you flower garden is Salvia Uliginosa which is considered a herbaceous perennial. Be careful where you plant this one as it can grow up to six feet tall. You can plant this one as a background flower in your garden. This is a pretty plant with lots of thin stems and yellow-green leaves with serrated edges. The flowers are bright blue with a white line in the throat that points toward the nectar and the pollen. Salvia Uliginosa starts blooming in the summer and bears lots of flowers well into the fall.

And of course, let’s not forget about the old time favorite Chrysanthemums that are known as true fall flowers. The gorgeous mum like flowers will add beauty and color to your flower garden. Although Chrysanthemums are sometimes called the golden flower, they come in white, pink and red also. You can plant them in your flower garden or in large containers that you can place in a patio or any other place that you want to brighten up. Chrysanthemums are herbaceous perennial plants with deeply lobed leaves and large flower heads and are easy to grow. Mix all the colors in one container for a stunning look in your flower garden. (photo courtesy: wikipedia.com)

While it is actually too late to plant those summer flowers that bloom into the fall, you can still have a colorful flower garden by just getting Chrysanthemums in different colors. There are other blooming flowers that can add beauty to your garden in the fall and Chrysanthemums is just one of them that will last for months to come. And your garden does not have to look dead in the fall.

Technorati Tags: Chrysanthemums, container plants, fall colors, fall container flowers, fall flowers, Fall Season, flower garden, Gardening, mums

If you don’t want to plant fall season plants in your garden area, plant them in containers. Container flower gardening is easy and gives a dull garden some much needed color during the fall season. All you have to do is place the containers or pots in the bare areas of your garden and you will instantly have color all over your garden. If you are planting directly on the soil, plant in early fall while the soil is still warm and this will help the growth and give you healthy plants. Also, flower containers should be placed in sunny locations and away from strong wind.

If you decide to use containers to plant your flowers, be sure to get the ones that are made of non-porous material to prevent cracking during a cold spell. The size of the containers to get depends on how much space you have in your garden or patio. I normally use containers that are about 14 inches in diameter. Another type of container or pot that you can use in your fall flower garden is the polyethylene which looks like terra cotta and are known to be well-suited for winter planting. Visit your local nursery for a wide variety of containers to use.

When you buy potting soil to use in your containers or pots, be sure it has good drainage and you can add some compost to the soil which will boost the plants with more nutrients. If you plan on keeping your plants through the winter season, then you will need to use a slow release fertilizer that will keep the plants healthy until the spring. In this case, select plants with hardiness rating a bit colder than your temperature zone. A good choice here might be planting some spring flowering bulbs like tulips. Be sure to buy your bulbs from a reputable company like Breck’s for the best quality. If you decide to plant bulbs, be sure to space them closer together than the way you would plant them in an open ground in your garden.

If you plan on leaving the containers outside, be sure to water when the soil is dry as moist soil creates heat which will protect the roots of your plants. During inclement weather conditions, group your containers closer to each other for protection. For added protection, you can wrap the containers with bubble wrap. Keep in mind that some plants or bulbs do require some cold weather so leave them out in the cold for some time before you plan winter protection.

Technorati Tags: Chrysanthemums, container flower gardening, evergreen shrubs, fall clean up, Fall Season, fall season gardening

There are approximately thirty species of Chrysanthemums which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe. The history of this plant says that it was cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century. However, its name is actually Greek and comes from combining the Greek word chrysos which means gold and the word anthemon meaning flower.

In China, the leaves were steamed or boiled and used in teas and as greens in Chinese cuisines. In addition, Chrysanthemums was used as Chinese medicine as an aid in healing from influenza and acne. Tea made of Chrysanthemum is very popular and used as a relaxant.

Although you can plant Chrysanthemums in your outdoor garden, it is most recognized as a pot or container plant that most gardeners use to accentuate an entrance way or patio with its beautiful fall colors. These are also a favorite of florists for flower arrangements because of the longevity of the blooms. Its daisy-like flowers comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Chrysanthemums are a great choice for a landscaping plant in your garden adding gorgeous color before the cold winter months arrive but you must plant them at least six weeks before heavy frost starts in order to allow the plant to establish in the soil. Don’t forget to remove the tips of new growth on your plants. This will give you bushy plants and more blooms.

To your gardening success,
Diana

Technorati Tags: Annual Plants, Chinese medicine, Chrysanthemums, container plants, daisy plants, Fall Gardening, Flowering Herbs, healing plants, mums, outdoor gardening