It might be funny to think about plants and flowers during the winter months, when the trees are bare and a lot of greenery can struggle to survive. But if you’re looking to spruce up your garden year-round, there are a number of plants that can help keep it colourful when summer is long gone.

For a wintery splash of white, try planting some Helleborus niger, also known as the Christmas rose, which has white, bowl-shaped flowers. Or, for something a bit more subtle, the Iris unguicularis flowers in a deep violet colour between October and March.

If you’re after a bigger garden feature, why not try a winter flowering shrub? Many varieties of the Hamamelis × intermedia will produce their yellow or orange flowers in time to see you through the end of the winter and into spring. And for those short on space, the Clematis cirrhosa is a wall climbing plant that will give a range of cream coloured flowers from November through to March.

As well as adding some interest and beauty to a potentially bare space, lots of winter plants have lovely scents as well, making them a great addition to a Christmas doorway. If you don’t want these plants on show year-round, lots of winter flora can be grown in containers and relocated when the colours of summer return.

For some more inspiration for winter gardening, check out this article from the RHS.