Five Star Performers For Winter Gardens

Winter gardens are all about form, foliage and texture. In our continuing quest to bring you amazing plants for your garden, here are five tried and true star performers from Art's Nursery. Add any or all of these to your garden to create multiple seasons of interest.

Winter Jasmine Flowers

Winter Jasmine
Jasminum nudiflorum
Jasminum nudiflorum, or more commonly, Winter Jasmine, is a deciduous slender scrambling vine from China that features dark green arching stems and bright yellow flowers that bloom in mid to late winter on bare stems. It's not a true climber as it often needs to be tied to a support to grow upwards. But it is a great plant for brightening up an otherwise dull winter garden. Winter jasmine prefers full to part sun and tolerates most well drained soils including poor ones. It's also suitable for urban conditions. Prune after flowering to keep its vigorous growth habit in check.



Dawn Viburnum Flowers



Dawn Viburnum

Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn'

This usually multi-stemmed deciduous shrub features large clusters of pink tubular flowers that appear in late winter and early spring from cherry red flower buds. Flowers are very fragrant giving off a wafting cherry-vanilla like scent. Serrated foliage is dark green but emerges a deep purple colour when new. mid summer and fall brings on dark coloured inedible fruit. Viburnum Dawn grows 6-8ft in height and spread. Best planted in sun to part sun. Hardy to zone 5.

Himalayan Sarcoccoca

Himalayan SweetBox, Himalayan Sarcococca
Sarcococca humulis
This underused evergreen is a slow growing, compact dwarf shrub with shiny dark green leaves. Tiny vanilla-sweet fragrant white flowers appear in late winter and early spring. Flowers are followed by small roundish black fruit. Grows 1-2 feet in height and several feet across. Himalayan Sarcococca is a great groundcover or border plant. Plant it where its heavenly fragrance can be enjoyed during the winter. Near a front door, garage or walkway is ideal. Prefers part sun to part shade in any well drained soil. Hardy to zone 6.

Helleborus 'Ivory Prince'

Ivory Prince Hellebore

Helleborus 'Ivory Prince'

Ivory flower buds flushed with pink appear in mid-winter and open to outward facing blooms that last most of the spring. Petals are streaked with green and backed with a warm rosy shade. Clump forming, blue green foliage. Excellent in a perennial shade garden or a container. Prefers shade to part shade in moist, but well drained soils. Water generously for best results. Grows to a height of 12-18inches with a slightly larger spread.

Acer palmatum 'Sangu Kaku'

Coral Bark Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum 'Sangu Kaku'
This Japanese maple variety is also extremely popular with customers. Architectural branching and light chartreuse green leaves in emerge in spring turning gold, orange and red in fall. As winter returns, Sangu Kaku's trunk and stems intensify into a brilliant coral red in colour. Great when planted in a location that is visible iduring the winter, for example, near a doorway or from a kitchen window. Ideal when combined with dwarf conifers, rhododendrons, camellias and other japanese maples. Grows 15-20ft in height and 12-15ft in spread. Prefers part shade to part sun, but will tolerate more sun if kept somewhat moist. Soil should be slightly acidic, moist but well drained.

Can be planted in containers and gardens. Altough it is hardy in zones 5-8, protect from cold winds and expect some winter tip dieback with this variety. Deciduous.


Art's Nursery opens in mid to late January to serve you. These and many other winter gardening favourites are available now and throughout the year. Drop by or give us a call and we'll be happy to show you how these plants can be incorporated into your garden designs.

 

This Post Was Written By:

The Talented Art's Nursery Staff