The Best Plants for Your Winter Garden

Winter is here, and so is the time to update your winter garden. While California does not have wintertime weather like colder parts of the US, there is still a range of plants that are ideal for the season. Read on below for the best plants for your winter garden!

Sweet Alyssum

Sweet alyssum thrives in colder conditions; in hot weather, the plant falls dormant. An ideal plant for border edges, sweet alyssum also looks beautiful when planted in pots. The small white and pale purple flowers look attractive next to bolder blooms too.

Winter Jasmine

Fast-growing with a potentially large spread and height, winter jasmine is hardy enough to survive during the colder months. Yellow flowers add bursts of color to any garden without the overpowering sweet scent that you may expect from other jasmine species.

Yuletide Camellia

With a Christmassy name, it’s likely no surprise that the evergreen shrub of yuletide camellia is a great winter plant choice. The leaves are dark green and shiny, and the red flowers feature a beautifully contrasting bright yellow stamen. The plant needs little water, making it good for dry conditions, and you only need to fertilize the plant once each year.

Pansies

Pansies sport flowers of diverse shades, creating plenty of low-lying colors around your garden over the winter. Easy to grow from seed, pansies can survive minor frosts as a great winter plant. As well as looking great, pansy flowers are edible too.

Swiss Chard

If you want to incorporate tasty vegetables in your garden, swiss chard is a terrific option for wintertime. The large green leaves grow on reddish-pink stems, creating quite a visual statement. Make sure to plant swiss chard in sunlight for the best results. Other vegetable plants that grow well over the winter include cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and broccoli.

Marigolds

Sometimes also known as calendula, marigolds typically produce flowers all throughout the year, though in Southern California, the flowers are generally larger over the winter. The flowers are in eye-catching tones of deep orange and vibrant yellow, with petals darkening towards the outer edges. Marigold flowers and leaves are edible, and the plant has also long been celebrated for having healing properties.