January 26th, 2022

Winter Flower Gardens

There are so many beautiful plants that bloom in the winter months which can provide your garden with life and colour. Whether you are looking for annuals or perennials, the idea that you can’t tend to your garden in the wintertime is a myth – especially on the coast!

Shrubs like Camellia, Mahonia, and Sarcoccocca can provide an abundance of flowers from January through March. Sarcoccoca shrubs also have a sweet fragrance that adds to their elegant flowers.

While many gardeners are eagerly awaiting the spring, winter is not a season to be overlooked when it comes to tending to your garden. It is an important time to clean up from last year and prepare your plants for success in the coming season!

If you haven’t yet done so, make sure you:

  • Clean up garden beds. Ensure all debris and dead roots are cleaned out. Rake and bag all leftover leaves from the fall.
  • Dig over and mulch with manure or compost. This ensures the current plants are safe and warm from the cold with a fresh layer of protection. Hunters Garden Centre carries bagged soil as well as bulk soil and manure for delivery in Greater Vancouver.
  • Add lime to balance the Ph levels. We carry a dormant spray kit which contains lime sulphur and horticultural oil to spray your fruit trees and shrubs. This will protect them from any diseases or insects while they are dormant in the winter. Read more about our dormant spray kits and the usage details here.
  • Wrap up marginally hardy plants such as Bananas, Canna Lilies, and outdoor Palm trees with burlap to protect from frost. Hunters Garden Centre carries frost blankets, crop cover and burlap!
  • Plant Helleborus for winter blooms in your garden. These perennials provide elegant white blooms to step up your winter garden game.
  • Cut back perennials just above the ground level. Think of it as a haircut for plants – they need this yearly to ensure their energy is put to use in the most efficient way when they bloom in the spring time.
  • Divide spring-blooming perennials like Hostas. The more the merrier!

Happy winter gardening! Call or visit us in-store if you have any questions or inquiries.