Winter Garden Ideas for Warmer Climates

• Before you buy, decide if your garden spot gets sun or shade. If it gets at least 6 hours of full sun a day, choose sun-loving flowers. Otherwise, pick plants that like part sun to shade.
• Group plants with the same sun and watering needs together.
• Plant in masses of 3, 5 or 7 of the same plant for the biggest visual impact. Don’t plant too close together. Remember to allow room for plants to mature. Check plant tags for directions on how far apart to plant.
• Turn the pot upside down. Tap on the bottom and shake to remove the plant.
• Dig a hole at least twice as wide and as deep as the pot the plant comes in. Use the empty pot as your guide.
• Mix compost into the soil.
• Gently loosen roots and place plant in the hole. Keep the root ball at or just below ground level.
• Fill the hole with soil, gently firming it with your hands.
• Water thoroughly.
• Fertilize according to directions.
• Add 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the plant, keeping it away from the stems.

One popular winter annual is the cornflower, also known as bachelor buttons. They’re famous for their starry blue blossoms but can also bloom in pink, white or dark red. This is a great flower to try growing from seed, because the large rice-shaped seeds are easy to handle, and the little plants’ gray-green foliage makes them easy to distinguish from weeds.

Cosmos flowers may look delicate, but the plants are remarkably resilient once established in the garden. Old-fashioned varieties can grow to five feet tall and benefit from staking, while ‘Sonata’ and many other varieties are more compact. Cosmos blossoms are a favorite among butterflies, and they make lovely cut flowers, too.

Pansies are one of the most popular annuals. They are easy to grow and bloom in so many different colors that they’re a great option for bringing a burst of life into any garden space. A hardy plant, pansies are also resilient against most garden pests.

Tip: Just like marigolds, pansies are edible. You can use them to add color to a salad or anything from flower tea to cakes.

Calendulas or pot marigolds are also easy to grow from seed, or buy as sturdy seedlings. Healthy plants grow into leafy bushes that bloom in spurts during periods of warm winter weather. Calendulas can handle cold spells, and they often reseed in sites. Leafy calendulas crowd out weeds and start producing gold to yellow flowers at a young age.

Tip: The organically grown, edible petals of calendulas can be used as a substitute for saffron.

Snapdragons are another popular cool-season flower. They can bloom in many colors like white, pink and yellow and are well-loved by gardeners for the large bursts of color they can add to outdoor spaces. Snapdragons can hold up in the cold and grow easily in most gardens.