The First Day of Winter

Celebrate the first day of winter with a walk around the neighborhood or nearby botanical garden. It’s a great way to walk off a few of those holiday calories and plan for added winter interest in your landscape.

Look for evergreen and colorful flowers you would like to include.

Hardy pansies and Johnny Jump-ups provide color and cheer in both northern and southern gardens. In the north they flower until the snow covers the blooms and are among the first flowers to appear in spring. In warmer climates they brighten the landscape all winter long.

Cheddar pinks and some of the other perennial dianthus will hold their blue green foliage throughout the winter.

Candytuft as well as creeping phlox are two evergreen perennials that brighten our spring gardens with flowers.

Many perennial geraniums and Bergenia have leaves that turn reddish-purple in fall and persist throughout the winter.

A bit more information: If your schedule or the weather doesn’t allow a walk outside, consider some other fun ways to celebrate the first day of winter.