I think we focus way too much of our attention on plants that bloom in the spring across Upstate New York. With just a little planning we can have something in bloom throughout the year.

A great example is Christmas Rose. These flowers are wide open on a nice warm day in the middle of the winter. They come into bloom for the most part in the middle of December.

Snowdrops are one of the earliest blooming bulbs in our area. You may recall we talked about digging and diving snowdrops in the past because they naturalize very readily. When you set them in well drained soil and full sun they can be in bloom by late January or early February, and they will bloom for the better part of a month.

One of my favorite groups of plants are the witch hazels. The flower petals on these plants act as a natural thermometer, when it gets very cold the petal will curl up very tight and on warm days they will be wide open.

These plants and flowers can be used to add more color to your landscape year round.