Winter Flowers

Winter leaves us with a very drab and boring landscape, especially after the New Year when all the fun holiday decorations are gone and we are stuck looking at bare mantles once again and empty cookie jars.

Start planning now and you can have a "garden" almost all winter long.  Flowers like paper whites, amaryllis, and poinsettia will grown inside very easily and can add just what you need to any room to make it feel more lived it.

I think paper whites are my favorite because they can pretty much grow in anything.  I have grown them in  just pebbles and in a pot with soil and had great results with either.  The fun part is figuring out what you are going to grow them in especially since they are so relaxed that they can literally grow in a regular old drinking glass with some water.  Pretty low maintenance, huh?

No matter what you plant them in, the instructions are pretty basic -- pointy side goes up, they can be close together, but not completely touching and keep them watered.  When you first "plant" them keep them in a warmer spot until they flower and then move them to an area with indirect sunlight.

I even keep poinsettias out all winter long and sometimes they last into the summer months too.  The key here is to replant them just like you would any other annual flower.  Water when it is dry and fertilize it once a month.  Remove the flowers or leaves as they die too.  You could even plant it in a holiday pot through December and then move it into something else for the rest of the winter.  With the great pinks and oranges that you now find poinsettias in, there is no reason to just have the typical red one that reminds us of Christmas.  They also come in different sizes, not just the traditional larger size.  I love the tiny single blooms to decorate with, they are a bit more expensive, but they make up for it!   Look for these at higher end garden shops.  For more information on caring for a poinsettia and making them rebloom, take a look at this page from Martha Stewart.

Get creative and you will be greeted by a cheerful flower all winter, hopefully chasing the winter blues away!
Here are a few inspiration for you to try out on your own!