Winter-proofing Your Garden with These Eye-Catching Plants
The winter season doesn't have to mean a barren garden. By choosing the right plants, you can enjoy architectural seedheads that add structure and visual appeal to your outdoor space even when most flowers have faded.
One such plant is the Agastache 'Blue Boa'. With purple-blue flower spikes and bright green aniseed-scented leaves, this plant's seedheads hold up well through winter.
Another interesting choice is Betonica officinalis 'Rosea Superba' (also known as Stachys officinalis). This plant produces strong stems topped with rose-pink flowers, which develop into durable seedheads lasting through the winter.
Cephalaria gigantea is another great option, producing light yellow flowers and distinctive, spherical papery seedheads that last well into winter.
For deep purple-red flowers that form attractive seedheads, consider Echinacea purpurea 'Rubinstern'. This plant is a favourite among pollinators and provides an eye-catching display in winter.
Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude' (Sedum 'Autumn Joy') offers tall pink star-shaped flowers with seedheads that maintain garden interest in winter.
Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed) is an autumn-flowering plant whose seeds form on spent flowers and stand up well in colder months.
Globe thistle (Echinops) boasts electric blue summer flowers that produce seedheads excellent for winter interest and indoor dry flower arrangements.
Marrubium libanoticum is another plant worth considering, although it wasn't detailed in the excerpt provided.
Beyond these species, plants like the Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford' and Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus' are also known for their attractive winter seedheads.
The Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford', originating from Burma, central and western China, and Japan, grows to a height of 90cm and is of interest in late spring to early winter. It requires moisture-retentive soil and sun or dappled shade for growth.
Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus', on the other hand, originates from East Asia and has a height of 1.8-2.1m. It thrives in sun and any soil, offering silky flower spikes that are dark red for a month, then fade to silver, and finally gold all winter.
In addition to these plants, there are several others that excel in providing winter interest. The Eryngium pandanifolium 'Physic Purple' is a majestic, sword-leaved plant with serrated foliage, while the Telekia speciosa boasts big leaves that smother out competition and branching stems tipped with large, yellow daisies.
The Chasmanthium latifolium is a woodland grass with an elegant, arching habit, and the Lunaria annua offers papery 'moon-like' seedheads that command attention later in the season.
Lastly, the Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis is a plant of interest from October-January, with little pale-purple flowers on willowy stems in summer and large, bristly seed pods in autumn.
By incorporating these plants into your garden, you can ensure that your outdoor space remains vibrant and interesting throughout the winter months.
The Agastache 'Blue Boa', Betonica officinalis 'Rosea Superba', Cephalaria gigantea, Echinacea purpurea 'Rubinstern', Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude' (Sedum 'Autumn Joy'), and Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed) are plants that provide winter interest in a garden. These plants have seedheads that last through the winter, such as the spherical papery seedheads of Cephalaria gigantea and the electric blue seedheads of Globe thistle (Echinops). Other plants like the Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford' and Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus' also have striking seedheads, adding to the winter landscape of a home-and-garden. Gardening these plants can contribute to a vibrant lifestyle by keeping the gardens alive and beautiful even during the winter season.
