Evergreen plants make a pretty winter view from your window
Many gardens are almost bare during the winter. But the views from your window don’t have to be that depressing. Evergreen plants can add shape and colour to even the dullest garden. Down with those winter blues – enjoy some pretty winter views from your window!
Evergreen plants are real survivors
The nice thing about evergreen plants is that they retain their leaves all through the winter, so they stay green. They’re real survivors. And almost all of them also reward you with beautiful flowers. On average, their flowers last around three weeks a year; the rest of the time, these plants show off their attractive leaves in a wide range of colours and shapes to make your winter garden look like a winter wonderland.
Varieties of evergreen plants
More and more different kinds of evergreen plants are becoming available. To make it easier to choose, here are ten really good ones.
- Winter Pansy (Viola)
- Christmas Rose (Helleborus)
- European Wild Ginger (Asarum)
- Coral Bells (Heuchera)
- Creeping Phlox
- Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis)
- Bugleweed (Ajuga)
- Candytuft (Iberis)
- Dwarf Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- Barren Strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata)
Did you know that…
There are also semi-evergreen plants? The leaves of these plants don’t fall off during the winter but change colour during this period. The effect can be absolutely stunning! Bergenia is the perfect example of this. Its leaves turn from green to a beautiful shade of red in the winter.
Care tips
- Evergreen plants require little maintenance. They will thrive best simply by leaving them as undisturbed as possible during the winter.
- Early in the spring, trim off any withered parts of the plant but be careful not to damage any young shoots.
- Most evergreen plants can easily tolerate frost, but some are less tolerant of a really icy-cold spell. Read the information on the label; if necessary mulch the roots with a layer of leaves, bark or old branches.
