Colorful Plants for Each Monthly Bloom
In the heart of winter, our native mountain ash, Sorbus aucuparia, stands out with its red berries, often associated with good luck and planted close to dwellings. As spring approaches, Trillium chloropetalum is introduced, a perennial with a unique display of three horizontal petal-like bracts that are darkly mottled and three central petals held upright. Its display starts in April and lasts for months in cool weather, with bracts being more robust than petals and continuing to make an impact long after the petals have disintegrated.
As we move into spring, Forsythia signals the end of winter with its bright yellow blooms. Camellia, evergreen with rose-like blooms, offers structural interest year-round. Spirea provides months of color with diverse white, pink, and red blooms and colorful foliage beyond flowering.
Hydrangea, with its large flower heads changing color by soil chemistry, blooms from June through October. In late spring, Begonia ('Sterling Moon' Lunar Lights™) offers continuous salmon-pink blooms, while Pigsqueak (Rhodohypoxis) provides glossy evergreen foliage with raspberry pink blooms, including winter-tinted foliage.
Indian Pink, with its bright red trumpet-shaped flowers, attracts hummingbirds in early summer. In July, the dwarf Lemon Tree offers fragrant blooms and fruit year-round indoors. Fuchsia dangles two-toned blooms over months in shaded areas.
Coneflower (Echinacea) blooms all season long, hardy and drought tolerant, attracting pollinators. 'May Night' Salvia offers deep violet-blue flowers from spring through summer, also long blooming if pruned. Lantana grows all season long with a range of colors, low maintenance, drought tolerant, and attracts butterflies.
As autumn arrives, Rudbeckia x fulgida deamii is at its best, loving an Indian summer. Acer 'Osakazuki', a Japanese maple variety, turns a flaming red in November. Phlox x arendsii 'Hesperis' produces loose pyramids of lilac flowers and offers scent, especially in the evening.
In the depths of winter, Helleborus x hybridus flowers, coming in a range of colors from white to burgundy. For those seeking a dramatic change, Euphorbia epithymoides, with its bright yellow blooms, is highlighted. In January, the plant Mahonia japonica (or Oregon grape) is a bold evergreen shrub with yellow flowers that can withstand inclement weather.
To extend the interest in your garden year-round, choose plants with colorful stems, berries, dramatic foliage, and scent. Sign up to our newsletter to receive advice and inspiration from favourite gardeners, and agree to our site terms and conditions and privacy policy. Your garden will never be without colour again, thanks to these 12 plants.
[1] RHS - Royal Horticultural Society [2] Gardening Know How [3] BBC Gardeners' World [4] The Spruce [5] Fine Gardening
Home and garden lifestyle should include a variety of plants that bloom throughout the year, such as Forsythia, Camellia, Spirea, Hydrangea, Begonia, Indian Pink, Lemon Tree, Fuchsia, Coneflower, Salvia, Lantana, Rudbeckia, Acer 'Osakazuki', Phlox x arendsii 'Hesperis', Helleborus x hybridus, Euphorbia epithymoides, and Mahonia japonica. These plants offer colorful stems, berries, dramatic foliage, and scent to extend the interest in your garden year-round.
For a diverse and thriving home-and-garden lifestyle, consider researching gardening tips and advice from trusted sources such as the RHS, Gardening Know How, BBC Gardeners' World, The Spruce, and Fine Gardening.
