Lenten roses now come in many beautiful colors.

Almost everyone thinks of color in the garden as only lasting three seasons: spring, summer, and fall. However, there are some plants that like it cool. Most people in the southern part of the states know that pansies are a sure bet for color through the winter months, but there are other possibilities, even into the more northerly areas.

Right off the top of my head I can think of a few hellebores seem to defy the cold. Commonly found in a pale greenish white, they’ve now been bred in a multitude of colors. They can have dramatic impact on your winter garden. Witch hazel, a small deciduous under-story tree, is another that can brighten a corner in the garden with its yellow or orange color.

In more southerly states you can have camellias blooming throughout the winter months. These stately evergreen plants have become a favorite of mine since moving to the mid-Atlantic. I have two blooming out in my yard right now.

Camelias bloom throughout the winter in warmer climates.

You can even plant hardy cyclamen in your yard. The tropical cousin is often sold in florist departments as a houseplant. The hardy variety has identical, although smaller blooms. It is adorable, looking like a miniature of its bigger cousin.

I was introduced to winter jasmine when I moved to our current location. The house we first live in had a huge bush out in front. I had never seen it before, so was astonished and delighted when it started blooming while it was still below freezing at night. The mockingbirds liked it as a nesting place, as well.

Hardy cyclamen poke up through winter's leftovers.

You can have flowers and fragrance, too, with winter Daphne. It is a shrub that grows to around 4 feet tall with dark glossy evergreen leaves. The flowers are purplish or sometimes white and have a delicious fragrance.

Now there’s no excuse for you to have a bleak garden through the winter months, unless your ground is under a foot of snow!