Winter Flowers in the Bay Area
I feel like when most people think of winter, flowers do not usually come to mind. Most flowers get planted in spring through fall, and many die off when the colder weather comes in. Some flowers that can withstand cooler temperatures, such as nasturtium, pansies, and Johnny-jump-ups (violas), are still typically planted far before winter arrives. If this is the case, can we enjoy planting any flowers in the winter months? Yes!
The world famous tulips of the Kenkeuhof gardens in the Netherlands.
Although there are just a few types of flowers we can plant and grow during the winter months, they make a gorgeous addition to our cool-season gardens. Citrus flowers, sweet pea, tulips, and painted tongue are all flowers that either grow or get planted throughout the winter.
Perfect citrus blossoms on a Valencian orange tree
Have you ever noticed little white blossoms blooming on a lemon or a lime tree? Citrus flowers are edible and often bloom in the winter time, even if your lemons and limes are not yet ripe. You can easily pick these flowers for garnishing whatever dish you choose. If you decide to install a citrus tree over the winter so it can begin to yield fruit in the spring or summer, these gorgeous blossoms will probably make an appearance.
Sweet pea blossoms of a tall variety supported by a trellis.
Sweet pea comes in a wide variety of colors and fragrances. You can plant pink, red, purple, lavender, white, blue, or even salmon-colored flowers. While they can be seeded any time of year, having them bloom and grow during the winter is bound to liven up your garden during the cold months. Be sure to plant them in full sun, in well-amended soil, and keep them moist. They are easy to grow in winter because they thrive with the more consistent rain and wet atmosphere. If you decide to get a taller variety, be sure to support them with a trellis. However, take note that all parts of sweet pea are toxic to ingest, so keep your pets and kids away from these cute little flowers.
Beautiful purple tulips in full bloom.
We all know and love tulips. I hope most of you have heard of the incredible Keukenhof garden in the Netherlands that blooms every year (pictured at the beginning of the post), which is definitely on my bucket list. Tulips come in all sorts of colors and are grown in fall or early winter. Despite being less fragrant than many other flowers, boy are they a sight to see. You can plant tulips from bulbs (plant new bulbs every year and discard the ones from the year before) and give them full sun, fertile soil, and plenty of room to grow big and tall. However, watch out for gophers because they love eating tulip bulbs. Although I highly doubt it would be on your list of edible goodies, do not eat tulip bulbs because of the concentration of toxic alkaloids and glycosides.
Painted Tongue flowers showing off their gorgeous colored veins.
Lastly, I would love to introduce you to Painted Tongue (Salpiglossis sinuata). These lovely flowers are often grown in late winter or early spring. They come in many colors that show off their contrasting veins and bloom in bunches that will add a lovely pop to your garden aesthetic. Plant seeds in well-amended soil in the sun and give them moderate water. These are also flowers that transplant quite well, so if it has been raining a lot or is too damp in the garden, start them indoors and transplant them when they have grown into their true-leaves. Another helpful tip is pinching them when young to encourage branching (when plants are still young, trim or cut off the very top of the flower stems so they grow better and yield more flowers later on). All parts of painted tongue flowers are poisonous to ingest.
An example of “pinching”: a woman pinches off the very top growth of tea leaves in a tea field.
Flowers in winter, it’s a thing. Whether or not you decide to grow flowers this winter or wait until spring, at least you know you can grow flowers in the wintertime and keep your garden looking gorgeous all year long. Happy planting!