A Texan’s Guide to Winter Annuals
Many gardens peak in the spring and summer, and all the color and showiness tend to drop with the temperatures. But it doesn’t have to be that way, especially in Texas, where most of the state stays on the warmer side, even in winter. A little strategic planting can ensure that your garden stays colorful even when the warm-weather plants go dormant.
Pansies (USDA Hardiness Zones 3–8)
As hardy as they are lovely, well-established pansies can usually bounce back even after intense North Texas winters. Their range of bright colors and varieties makes them great showpieces. Pansies need plenty of sunlight, and wet soil is their kryptonite, so place them in a sunny, well-draining bed. Consider planting many pansies of the same color together for a dramatic effect.
Violas (USDA Hardiness Zones 3–8)
Although their blooms are a bit smaller and less showy, violas top pansies in winter toughness, and their blooms are more prolific. They’re very low-maintenance and beginner-friendly. Want the best of both worlds? Panolas, a pansy-viola hybrid with bigger faces and more blooms, are also cold-tolerant and beautiful.
Snapdragons (USDA Hardiness Zones 7–10)
These tall, spiky beauties make a great garden backdrop and come in nearly every color. They prefer cool temperatures, and while they don’t do as well below 25 F, Texas winters tend to suit them just fine. Protect them from extreme frosts by covering them or by potting them so they can be moved inside.
Ornamental Cabbage and Kale (USDA Hardiness Zones 2–11)
Frilly and flowery, these plants are great for filling out and adding texture to your garden. (Yes, you could eat them, but it’s not recommended. They’ve been bred for looks, not taste.) They come in many colors, with the classic version typically featuring a combination of green, purple, and pink. Leave a full foot or so between plants; it might look stark now, but they’re wide and dramatic once they fill out.
Sweet Alyssum (USDA Hardiness Zones 5–9)
Blanket your garden with small, low-growing alyssum to enjoy delicate pink, purple, or white flowers and a sweet fragrance. In mild winters, it might reseed
Calendula (USDA Hardiness Zones 2–11)
Also known as English marigold, this flowering herb features bright crowns of orange or yellow. It’s exactly the pop of brightness a winter garden needs. Calendulas don’t like the heat, but if they have enough protection from the most intense hours of sun, they might survive the summer and return next year.
Cyclamen (USDA Hardiness Zones 9–11)
Cyclamen might be the least hardy flowers on this list — both intense heat and intense cold stress them out — but they are certainly pretty, and their tidy, tulip-like blooms make a striking contrast to the wildness of snapdragons or ornamental cabbage and kale. They’re also great to keep in a bright, sunny window.
The Care and Keeping of Winter Annuals
Most of these plants do best when planted in the fall or early winter. They need well-drained, nutrient-rich soil; clay-type soil will need to be broken up and enriched with fertilizer. And though these are cold-tolerant plants, it never hurts to mulch the flower bed to better protect the roots.
The rule in gardening is generally to water plants in the morning before the sun can evaporate it, but in winter, that rule comes with an asterisk: Don’t water if it’s below freezing or expected to freeze. If it does freeze, bring potted plants inside and protect the others with frost blankets.
Unlike pruning to encourage new growth in the following season, pruning a winter annual is meant to encourage the plant to keep blooming instead of going to seed. Simply “deadhead” your annuals by trimming any dead or dying flowers.
With all the varieties and colors of cold-tolerant plants available, winter doesn’t have to be brown. These beauties only require a little help to make your garden shine all year-round.
These hardy cold-weather herbs can also outlast the frost and keep your garden green this winter.
