- Include cheerful pansies in your garden that provide color during February.Pansies image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
Although spring and summer are associated with blooming flowers, several types of flowers push their heads through the ground during the cold, early spring months of January and February. According to the Oregon State University Extension, winter blooming flowers dress up the garden and add varied color during cold winter months. Select long-lasting varieties to extend growing season until the ground warms up for spring. - Best suited for cold weather, glory-of-the-snow peaks out even when the ground is covered with snow and dazzles the surrounding areas with its presence. Each 6-inch-long stem comprises 7 to 10 one-inch wide star-shaped flowers with blue petals and a white center. The flower naturally grows on mountains and in forests and prefers full sunlight to partial shade. The gardening bulb self propagates and requires minimal care after planting.
- Witch hazel or vernal witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) is a flowering shrub that grows up to 8 feet tall and equally wide. It produces tight clusters of fragrant flowers that range in color from yellow to hues of orange, depending on the variety. The flowers open during the month of January all the way through end of March or April. Although the medium to dark green 4-inch-long leaves dry out and turn brown by the time the flowers open, their main function is to protect the blooms from natural elements. Witch hazel tolerates a variety of soils but prefers full sunlight to partial shade. Considered an ornamental plant, the bark and roots of the shrub are used for medicinal purposes.
- Although delicate in appearance, pansies are hardy annuals that tolerate cold climates and bloom in January and February in the southwest. These easy-to-grow flowers grow up to 8 inches tall, depending on the variety selected, and appear in a variety of colors, including white, pink, purple and yellow. The cheerful, bi-colored flowers prefer partial shade and slightly acidic soil.
- Native to China, Japan and Korea, the deciduous Korean rhododendron shrub (Rhododendron mucronulatum) blooms in February and decorates the spot with its showy pale to deep pink blooms. Hardy in zones 5 through 7, it grows 3- to 6-feet tall and equally wide, depending on the variety. The green foliage turns hues of red and bronze before falling off in autumn. The slow-growing shrub requires full shade and well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
- Fragrant wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) is a deciduous plant that produces white or yellow flowers with purple centers and deep green foliage during February. It matures at a height of 10 to 15 feet and prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. The slow-growing shrub thrives in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 9.
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