10 Cool Season Flowers To Up Your Garden Game

Many people don’t consider flower gardens in fall because they believe it to be a short season.  After all, winter is coming.  Shrubs and trees go dormant and flowers 

don’t do well in the winter cold, right?

  Not exactly--winters in southwest deserts are traditionally mild.  There are a surprising number of flowering plants that like cooler weather and tolerate severe cold snaps as well. Not only are there flowers  that survive winter, but there are several that will

 blossom all winter and thrive in the cold weather.

 Here are some of our favorite annual cool season varieties:

Calendula is a compact plant with large yellow or orange flowers.  It does well planted in masses, borders or containers.  Clip spent flowers to encourage repeat blooming.  At its peak in late fall and early spring.

Carnation is very hardy, takes full sun and needs no protection in winter. Garden varieties normally seen as bushy, compact dwarfs, thrive under routine care. Shades range from scarlet through pink to white. Some are sweetly fragrant.

Cyclamen has unusual and beautiful blooms. It prefers light shade to filtered sun, is a low water user with good drought tolerance. Flowers range from white magenta, red and purple.

English Primrose is a classic, cool weather favorite that does very well in filtered sun to full shade.  Large-leafed and compact, it has flower stems in rich colors of yellow, pink, purple and white.  Plant in shaded areas where pansies, stock and kale would perform poorly.

Ornamental Cabbage and Kale are edible but prized for their deep colors of purple, pink and white.  The colder the weather, the brighter the colors!  Excellent in borders or masses; surround with smaller cool season flowers like pansies and violas.  Plant smaller specimens in fall, larger sizes in winter.

Pansy is a very popular, tough little plant available in nearly every color imaginable!  Majestic Giants have large flowers with “faces,” the Crown varieties have vivid colors without faces.  Plant these in fall through winter in any sunny spot.  Not bothered by the coldest weather.  Great in masses, borders or containers!  Pick spent flowers and pinch back occasionally to keep compact shape.

Stock is an old fashioned favorite known for its strongly fragrant flowers.  It blooms profusely in shades of purple, lavender, pink and white right through the winter and into late spring.  Midget or Green Leaf Stock is a short variety with brighter flowers.  Trysomic or Seven Week Stock is taller and bushier.  Use the tall varieties for background color and shorter varieties as borders or mixers.

Viola resembles a miniature pansy with loads of purple, yellow or bicolor flowers atop pansy-like foliage.  It’s delicate, tough and attractive.  Plant in borders or masses, or mix with other cool season flowers.

Here are some of our favorite cool season (perennial) varieties:

Dianthus is a member of the carnation family that makes perfect mounds of color in fall and spring.  Deadhead after blooming. Shows nearly endless color varieties from deep red through pink, purple, white and bicolor.  You’ll even get summer blooms if the plant has some afternoon shade. In the winter Dianthus will stay green and healthy, but you are not likely to see many flowers. Will also grow well in part shade.  Plant anywhere in the garden.  

Snapdragon is a winter specialist! You will have blooms from September through May. Can survive summers if it develops deep roots or gets afternoon shade. Snaps are available in many colors and sizes; Dwarf varieties are excellent for masses, foregrounds, and borders.  Taller varieties work well as background plantings.  All do well in containers.  Self- sows readily and produces endless color variations due to cross pollination.

For More Information On Planting Cool Weather Flowers, Check Out Star Note #305.