by Penny Pawl, U. C. Master Gardener
Fast-forward a few months to mid January. It is a dark, damp day, but as I look out the window at my garden, I see bright spots in several places. Those are the flowers that bloom in winter and make me realize spring is not far away.
If you want winter color in your garden, you should start planning now. My favorite bloomers are Narcissus 'Paperwhite,' which starts blooming in December, and Oxalis ambigua MV5532. My paperwhites are in several spots around the garden and brighten dark places. The oxalis is like a blanket when the flowers are open. They open on sunny days, but the closed flower still shows white.
This oxalis is not the garden pest we finding growing all summer. This one comes from South Africa and has much better manners. It does spread, but it is easily dug up if it ventures too far. The flowers are about one inch across and bell shaped. I bought it from a local nursery in a four-inch pot several years ago and have encouraged it to move around. When it quits blooming and the leaves die back in the spring, one of the nesting birds in my yard digs up some of the bulbs for its chicks. Verbena and other groundcovers carpet the area in summer.
I also have a white-flowered potato vine (Solanum jasminoides) that blooms almost continuously, even in winter. There is a blue-flowered variety, but I like plants with white flowers in winter because they reflect the light and make the garden seem brighter. Potato vine responds well to being pruned back before it becomes overgrown. Mine is in a shaded area, but it will grow in sunlight also.
Other winter-blooming flowers will brighten those gray days. Most are bulbs: tulips, daffodils, freesia, native iris and hyacinths. They are coming into the nurseries now or will soon. My favorite is cyclamen (Primulaceae). In one bed, I have encouraged miniature cyclamen to naturalize. They bloom at different times during the winter so something is always going on in that bed. The small seed pods form after the blooms are done, and inside the pod are many seeds. One year I planted the seeds in seedling trays and got plants with a wide variety of leaves and flowers.
Bushes can provide winter color, too, especially a healthy manzanita (Arctostaphylos). The tiny white flower clusters open in February. Manzanita needs dry soil once established and will drown if its roots are kept wet. These plants come in a wide variety, from groundcovers to tall shrubs. They do not grow well in deep shade.
Pansies and violets (Violaceae) of many colors will be available soon, and they are always welcome in the garden with their sweet, smiling faces. At least, that is how I view them.
Evergreen clematis (C. armandii) has beautiful, shiny leaves all year and blooms in spring. Flowers may be white or pink. It is fast growing and needs a sturdy frame to support the growth. Prune heavily after bloom.
Camellias have a long bloom period. Mine start in late November or early December and continue into April. I have been reading about sages (Salvia) that are fall and winter blooming. I just purchased one and hope it will be a colorful winter addition.
If you want to add winter color to your garden, visit your favorite nurseries and read the plant labels. Sunset's Western Garden Book can provide additional guidance. Or type key words such as "winter sage salvia" into an Internet search engine, and you'll be amazed at the amount of information you find.