Flowers for winter

[Dr Bill]

The year is starting to near it's end and I want to plant up a bed for winter colour. The only things that immediately comes to mind for winter flower are Hellebores. Does anyone have any other suggestions

[Rosefriend]

Hi drbill

What about some Viola and Erica or Calluna varieties. The colours nowadays are splendid.

It so much depends on the kind of winter that we get as to when things will flower. I will keep thinking about it.

Rosefriend

[Chuckles]

how about asters you can get some wonderful varieties www.autumnasters.co.uk/results.asp?sectionid=2

[jlottie]

Hi Dr Bill

I've got some Kaffir lillies and they can flower up to December down here in the south, lovely pink delicate flowers in different shades, really warms the heart to see them keep going. They seem to have been doing really well in this dry weather so I am hoping for a good show soon.

[Spruance]

Hi Dr Bill,

How about winter pansies? Not very imaginative maybe, but there are some wonderful colour combinations and I think B&Q have some offers on at the moment.

Spruance

[Deleted]

There are some Crocus that flower really early too like C. ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch'.

[owainglyndwr]

I'm relying on foliage more than flowers. Although I have planted some winter pansies.

Evergreen Ceanothus, Ajuga, Heucheras, Cistus, Sambucus 'Black Lace' and a lot of alpines I was given free last year and just planted them in normal planting situation and they are thriving. The Dianthus deltoides makes great ground cover

and your sig' scared me dee; I clicked on it then thought oh-oh where's this taking me

[toonia]

Two questions about hellebores.
Why are they so expensive if they are said to spread and multiply easily, or is that just cataloguespeak?
Has anyone grown "foetidus"? It's offered as part of a collection and I'm a bit put off by the name. Does it pong?

[Deleted]

Hellebores are expensive just for the reason they produce seed. they are promiscuous little beggars and don't come try from seed so the best forms of Helleborus hybridus (formerly known as Helleborus x orientalis) have to be vegatatively propagated and this takes time and it's slow to build up stocks.

Helleborus foetidus can smell awful in some strains it can be quite pleasant, depends on your sense of smell too. After all Melianthus major is supposed to be 'plesantly scented of hazelnuts' not to me, it stinks!

I would never go for 'a collection' I would wait until they are flowering and choose that way, many growers produce a lot from seed and maybe only 5% of them are good enough to sell as far as they're concerned - but I have hundreds growing from seed and most are lovely with some real gems like a double slate gray, lots of flowers but very small, a bright apple green with red nectaries and a true butter yellow, there again I did get the seed from a specialist grower. Don't bother to buy seed from seed companies though, once the seeds are dry it's difficult to break the dormancy on them and can take 2-3 years. Always use absolutely fresh seed and it will germinate by Christmas the same year.

[beejay]

A brilliant little plant for flowering in Oct/Nov, but need a bit of shade, is Saxifraga fortunei. I have been so pleased with the ones I bought although I think they have struggled in this dry summer & 1 looka as though it has snuffed it.

There is also a winter flowering iris, the name of which escapes me at the moment, which loves to be baked in the summer.

[Jonah]

Another iris with winter interest is Iris Foetidissima, seed pods split open in autumn and the bright orange red seeds are meant to stay on through the winter. I think the seeds are harmful, and its common name is stinking roast beef plant, but I have ordered some to try in an out of reach spot.