Winter garden flowers thrive in cool weather

January 30, 2020

Winter in my garden brings the sweet flowers of abutilon, or flowering maple. I used to have several different varieties, but harsher winters or drought killed many of them off. ‘Bartley Schwarz’ is not only a survivor but my favorite for its glowing, cantaloupe-colored flowers that dangle like Chinese lanterns.

An unplanted dragon pot echoes the flower color. I love the trick of placing a large pot in a planting bed for a focal point or color echo.

Out front, giant leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum ‘Gigantea’) hoists sunny parasols of yellow flowers over tractor-seat leaves. I’m thankful the deer are leaving these alone.

On the other side of the house, flowers have faded at this time of year, but greenery abides thanks to an increasingly large Mediterranean fan palm. Shiny silver balls, a glazed oxblood-red sphere, and lattice mirrors bounce light around in this shady spot.

Indoors, ‘Minerva’ amaryllis, purchased before Christmas, has unfurled four trumpet-shaped, candy-striped flowers, chasing away any hint of the winter blahs.

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Digging Deeper

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All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

12 responses to “Winter garden flowers thrive in cool weather”

  1. Gail says:

    ‘Bartley Schwarz’ looks fabulous with his dragon pot!

  2. Kris P says:

    The Abutilon looks wonderful with the pot as a backdrop. I’ve yet to get an Abutilon to survive in my own garden.

  3. I keep wanting an abutilon. Envy is my name.
    We have lots of Edgeworthia chrysantha blooming now and a few Hellebores.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      And I envy you the hellebores, Janet. I’m not as familiar with the edgeworthia. Enjoy your winter blooms!

  4. lcp says:

    so…Chinese dragon with Chinese lanterns? I salute your color tableau, but bow deeply to the next-level correlation: what a clever girl! 😉

    Seriously: LOVELY.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Oh, aren’t you kind to think that was intentional, LCP. 😉 Serendipitous combos are one of the great joys of gardening.

  5. Lisa at Greenbow says:

    I can hardly wait until I see blooms in my garden again. I used to have an abutilon that I hauled in and out of the house as seasons progressed. It didn’t bloom except during fall so I gave it up even tho I think they are so pretty. I like your big pot too.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Carrying plants in and out gets old fast. I keep vowing to cut back on the number of tender potted succulents I have, although this winter has been so mild I’ve only had to haul them inside once or twice.

  6. Caroline says:

    All my amaryllis are duds so far this year. I have a bunch of leafed out bulbs and a few bulbs with no leaves, but no blooms, so odd. Does giant leopard plant need much water? I fear my shady front yard is too dry for it.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      That happened to me with an amaryllis bulb last year. Weird. The leopard plant does need regular watering, especially if it gets any sun at all. I planted mine in early spring last year and kept it watered every couple of days through the summer. But what I hear from others who grow it is that, when established, it can get by with moderate watering. I’ve seen it planted side-by-side with ‘Green Goblet’ agave on South Congress, so I figure it must not be super thirsty or the watering would rot the agaves. Time will tell! I might not ever have tried it but for the deer, who after 9 years suddenly decided my native river fern was tasty and mowed it to the ground. Giant leopard plant is, so far, deer resistant.