**WHICH LONG FLOWERING PLANT HAS EARNED ITS KEEP IN YOUR GARDEN THIS W...

I have three plants that keep winter interesting for me . Bergenia have wonderful leaves and inform me of the temperature outside. They droop when it is very cold then cheer up as the temperature lifts. Skimmia has lovely leaves and berries and my shaped Cotoniasters look majestic. The Laurals, Firs and Hollies look good too.

My 'bog standard' viburnum bodnantense has been the star of my winter garden. It started flowering in November and is at its best now. The winter flowering cherry is also a delight, and my beautiful but tiny witch Hazel 'Jelena' flowered for weeks. The other one, 'Arnold Promise' has just opened its flowers as Jelena is going over. :)

My Mahonia Lionel Fortescue has been flowering his socks off. Skimmia and evergreen variegated daphne foliagehas been a delight too.

Linda Bergenia are such underated plants, I purchased a couple towards the end of last year, not had one in the garden for over 30 years! I agree with you regarding the Skimmia top plants..... thanks for your comments...
Karen Viburnum, yes another long flowerer, and I envy your flowering witch hazel, nothing on ours Arnold's promise is another good variety, and as you know we can't grow Viburnum because of the beetle!
Seaburn, agree regarding the Skimmias, very long flowering, also Mahonia tough as old boots, and scented, what more could you want? thank you ladies......

My Abutilon Megapotamicum Angela ,it's flower from early spring and then flowers almost all year even now I still have a few flowers on in fact there's hardly a month without a flower ...

Having a very small garden, I need plants that earn their keep. I know Rosemary shrub is common, but it just flowers and flowers, is evergreen (grey), culinary and the Blackbirds nest in it. In fact last year when I removed an old nest, the Rosemary had rooted itself into the nest. I ought to buy a named variety with more intense blue flowers.

I second that Sue. I have several rosemary bushes. They are very handsome in winter. Sadly they dont flower much in Tayside, but even without the flowers I wouldn't be without my rosemary. Its a wonderfully aromatic evergreen. :)

Amy now that's really interesting, we had one for many years, but, it hardly did anything, is it the variegated one? and what position are you growing it in, the fencers finished ours off!!
Sue I have to agree with you on that, we have a few named varieties, which have flowered on and off this winter...we have never not had a rosemary bush in the garden, our eldest daughter has a hedge of it!! so it has to be tough to stand the weather here!

No its not variegated Angela ,its on the wall facing North West ,it gets the afternoon / evening sunshine we put a good thick layer of mulch at its base before the winter starts , we thought it had died in the frost one year but up it popped again in the next spring .. its brilliant ...I've positioned wires on the walls to support the stems on each side of it ,its spreading a good way on either side ...

Thanks for that Any......ours was a variegated one, perhaps more tender? might consider this as we do have some fencing to hide !!

Nandina domestica, and good old Euonymus 'Bowles Mauve' .

Nothing much since the Mahonia finished but we have seldom been without a few wild primroses. Bowles Mauve kept going a long time but finished a few weeks ago.

Has to be my winter flowering jasmine

Gnarly a top plant, if only ours would have a flower!! absolutely nothing the last three years!!
Stera wild primroses take some beating ours have flowered on and off all winter....
Sheila, love Nandina but it hates us!! Bowles Mauve still one of the best!!

I think my Nandina is dead....again. :(

I keep meaning to buy a Nandina - do you know what they hate? It would be a pity to waste one. Would it be happy in a dryish north facing bed that gets afternoon sun in summer and none in winter?

Sue, it would definitely be worth a try because I have several and they don't seem fussy. Maybe talk to your seller about which variety . . . and by the way I have never watered mine!

Isn't it strange my neighbour cannot keep Nandina either, I am wondering if it might have something to do with coastal winds/salt? so annoying because I love them, so many to choose from too!!

Thank you for the encouragement Meadowland and Sheila!

Let us know how you do Stera and which one you go for!!

I don't have winter bloomers but i vote for Gallardia or Blanket Flower. Only a hard freeze will stop it but it's back again looking fine first hint of Spring. A real charmer, deserves a place in every garden and draws in loads of butterflies & bees.

Mahonia, Hammamelis, and Cyclamen. The latter really are pretty and are spreading.

Rosemary and other herbs.

DD it will have to be Domestica - perhaps Richmond if I can find one as its apparently hermaphrodite and berries are always a bonus. But it would be in a north facing bed that gets sun in the afternoon in summer and none in winter - wondering if i would ne wasting my money?

Stera......I am afraid I cannot help you there......
Eirlys I must agree on the Cyclamen, have flowered their little heads off here! and the Mahonia has done well too....
Bathgate I must look into Gallardia, I like plants that have a long flowering period.....

"Gnarly a top plant, if only ours would have a flower!! absolutely nothing the last three years!! "

mine I thought wasnt in the best spot, sun only till about 11 ish , crowded out by other plants , but I only feed with fish blood and bone , so no fast nitrogen.

where your growing , best I have seen on here is Hywel's

Gg

For me it has to be Heuchera Lime Marmalade. It's a bright fresh green all year. After that it's the sweet smelling Sarcococca by the front door and new in last year Mahonia which is still in flower.

I'm hoping for more winter colour next year.

DD. My top 3 are Viburnum Bontanese Dawn, Winter Jasmine and Lonicera Fragrantissima, all have flowered for ages.

The leaves on my viburnum seem a bit droopy though there are flower buds. A young Edgeworthia with new shoots and buds was moved nearby just before Christmas but in that time succumbed to vine weevil so today I plan to water the V with Provado just in case. And anything else close.