Sweet Peas

Annual sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus)  prefers cool temperatures to bloom, but won't survive hard freezes. Keep the flowers blooming in winter by mulching the plants well and covering them during frosts. Some varieties are earlier flowering, such as the Winter Sunshine and Winter Elegance series, both of which can bloom through winter in the warmest regions of Texas, California, and Florida.

Pansies

Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) are the reliable standbys for cool-weather blossoms. Their engaging "faces," or top petals, come in bold or pastel colors. Remove spent flowers to promote repeat blooming. Although they're technically perennials, pansies tend to be short-lived because they don't tolerate heat well (some varieties are more heat-tolerant than others). Pansies will bloom all winter in warmer climates.

Pinks

Pinks (Dianthus species and hybrids) are named not for their color—although many are pink—but for their serrated leaves, which look like someone cut them with pinking shears. The blooms often smell like an aromatic spice, such as nutmeg or cloves. Many types of these short-lived perennials, including China pinks (Dianthus chinensis), grow in 6- to 12-inch mounds of grasslike blue-green foliage. Sweet William (D. barbatus) reaches up to 2 feet. Cheddar pinks (Dianthus gratianopolitanus) and maiden pinks (Dianthus deltoides) are also part of the family.

Winter Jasmine

You'll love the early burst of color from winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), a fast-growing evergreen shrubby plant that's native to Tibet and China. This cold-weather perennial offers an abundance of creamy-yellow flowers that bloom on bare stems in January or February. While it is the hardiest member of the jasmine family, it is not fragrant.

Hellebore

Blooming in late winter, hellebores  (Helleborus spp.) are tough perennial plants that are also sometimes called winter roses. The flowers come in white, yellow, pink, maroon, chartreuse, and bicolored. While the flowers typically hang downward, newer varieties boast flowers that face upwards so are easier to see.

Types of Marigolds for Gardens

Marigolds are commonly divided into three categories: African, French, and signet. All these marigolds are fast-growing annual plants that bloom reliably from early summer to frost. Deadheading will encourage more blooms and prevent marigold volunteers from popping up next spring. However, each type has its unique characteristics.

African Marigolds

These tall and stately plants make beautiful borders along fences, at the back of perennial beds to set off other flowers, and as a large patch all on their own. African marigolds (Tagetes erecta) are good for cutting for arrangements with long, sturdy stems and good vase life. They are relatively low-maintenance summer flowers and thrive in hot, dry conditions. Here are a few of the prettiest varieties of African marigolds to try:

French Marigolds

Bushy plants with a compact, mounded shape and bright colors make French marigolds (Tagetes patula) a favorite. They are generally not bothered by insects or disease and make fabulous companion plants for your vegetable garden. Keep deadheaded for blooms all the way to frost. French marigolds range from 6 inches to 2 feet in height.

Tagetes tenuifolia

Tagetes tenuifolia is an annual herb sometimes reaching as much as 50 cm (20 in) tall. Leaves are less than 3 cm (1+1⁄4 in) long, deeply divided into many small parts. The plant produces many small bright yellow flower heads in a flat-topped array, each head with five ray florets and 7–9 disc florets.[4]

Signet Marigolds

Perhaps the least well-known type of marigold, signet marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia) offer simple color and compactness. They are great for window boxes, edging garden beds with color, and companion planting because they won’t shade anything out. Also known as lemon marigolds, some signet varieties give off a lemon scent when their foliage is bruised.