Winter Flower Colors

• Gardeners can enjoy colorful flowers, even in winter. Flowers among Snow 14 image by Valeriy Kirsanov from Fotolia.com

  Winter time means shorter days and, in many parts of the country, much colder weather. However, flower lovers don't have to to wait until springtime to enjoy colorful blooms again. There are a number of plants, easily obtainable, that flower in winter and provide a bit of brightness as an antidote to gray skies. Check with your local nursery, where the staff can show you the plants that thrive best in your area.

Winter-Hardy Camellias

• Camellias have long been synonymous with the South. A number of cultivars have been developed that are hardy to Zone 5. "Ashton's Prelude" features shell-pink blooms from mid-October through November. "Ashton's Pride" has pale pink flowers from mid-November to mid-December. The white flowers of "Ashton's Snow" will last from November to January, as will other varieties of white-flowered camellias including "Elaine Lee," "Fairweather Favorite" and "Winter's Cupid."

Hellebores

• Sometimes called "Christmas Rose" or "Lenten Rose," hellebores brighten the late winter/early spring garden with shiny green foliage and white flowers. Like camellias, many varieties of hellebores are hardy to Zone 5. Low-maintenance once they are established, it takes patience to grow hellobores from seed, as they make take as long as 18 months to become established. If you don't want to wait that long, buy young plants from your local nursery.

Ice Pansies

• Ice pansies, also called icicle pansies, provide fall color and overwinter to bloom again in early spring. Even after a hard frost, when other flowers turn brown, ice pansies will appear wilted but retain their green foliage and colorful blooms, although the colors will be subdued. Ice pansies are available in a variety of colors, ranging from white to oranges and yellows to shades of lavender and purple.

Early Flowering Bulbs

• There are a variety of bulbs you can plant in the fall that will reward you with colorful flowers even before the snow completely melts in the spring. Earliest of all are snowdrops, which have dark green leaves and small white blooms. Aconite is another winter bloomer, with yellow flowers and green foliage that looks touched with bronze. Shortly after aconites bloom, early crocuses come up. These pretty little flowers are available in shades of yellow or purple, along with white. Different varieties of daffodils can bloom all throughout the spring, and there are some early blooming varieties as well which show their color in February. Miniature irises bloom in February too, although some cultivars will flower in January in some locales.

Winter Blooms Indoors

• If you want to enjoy flowers indoors during the winter, you have many choices. Poinsettias are available in white, pinks, reds and even candy-striped varieties. Enjoy schlumbergera -- commonly known as Christmas cactus -- in a variety of colors, too. You can also force bulbs such as amaryllis, paperwhites, hyacinth and tulips. Plant the bulbs in pots about 12 weeks ahead of time and store in a cold, dark place. When you're ready for some winter color, place the pots in a sunny windowsill and watch what happens when they warm up.