Purple Flowers to Love This Winter
Dallas is in the grip of a north Texas winter, and we’ve just finished our winter plantings. So there is color everywhere you look at the Dallas Arboretum! VP of Gardens Dave Forehand chose his favorite purple winter flowers from years of managing these winter displays, in case you need a way to bring a pop of color into your garden.
Why Purple?
Purple is a great color and one of my favorites to use when landscaping. It’s the color of royalty, so if you want a landscape that looks fit for a king, use these flowers.
Winter Planting Tips
Winter annuals need energy to grow, so add a time release fertilizer or use liquid feed regularly.
Winter plants need water, so don’t forget to give them a good drink once a week or so, especially if there has been no rain.
And now, on to Dave’s Faves.
Pansy
Pansies are hardy and blooms all winter. We use them as ground cover the whole season, and they can be planted even in the cold of November – January, before spring-blooming plants are ready to come up.
My two favorites are:
- ‘Whooping Purple Whiskers,’ which has huge flowers, and is sold by Ball Seed.
- And ‘Cool Wave Purple,’ a trailing variety that is great for pots and baskets, from Pan American Seed.
Violas
These are a small flowering version of pansies. The flowers are small, but there are tons of them throughout the garden and they add a lot of life to any bed.
My favorite is ‘Sorbet Purple’ from Ball Seed.
Wallflower (Erysimum)
This is a tough, winter-flowering annual. It’s drought tolerant and can survive cold temperatures. Wallflowers have been grown for a long time. It was a favorite of the Romans, and it was brought to England when the Romans arrived and occupied the historic city.
My favorite is ‘Boules Mauve.’
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This winter bloomer has been a favorite of gardeners for a long time, appreciated for its beautiful, sweet scent.
My favorite is ‘Lilac Lavender’ from Ball Seed.
Purple Kale
This plant has great structure and very colorful leaves. It’s very cold hardy and best of all, it’s edible.
My two favorite varieties are:
- Redbor: It has an open upright growing habit that makes it stand out from a distance. It’s great used in Italian wedding soup.
- Purple Prince: It has a beautiful bright ‘hot’ purple center that fades to mauve on the outer leaves. It is commonly used as a garnish to dress up holiday hors d’oeuvre trays.
It’s the perfect time to plant some of these purple beauties in your garden so you can enjoy a pop of color, regardless of the weather.
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