Winter has well and truly arrived. There's a good chance that you are looking at your garden and wondering if it'll ever look good this time of year. Well the answer to that is a resounding - of course it can!
Here's our top 5 winter plant recommendations for colour this time of year.
Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum 'Fire Dance'

This evergreen shrub forms a bushy mound of purple foliage and blooms sweetly scented pink, witch hazel-like flowers from late winter to mid-spring, creating a striking contrast. Native to woodlands in China, Japan, and Burma, it thrives in partial shade with winter protection.
Position: full sun to partial shade
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained, preferably acidic soil
Rate of growth: average
Flowering period: February to April
Hardiness: frost hardy (may need winter protection)
Cornus alba 'Sibirica
'This deciduous shrub features dark green leaves and creamy-white flowers in May and June, but its standout feature is the bright coral-red stems revealed in winter. Ideal for group planting, near water, or in winter borders, it thrives in full sun and pairs beautifully with orange or purple-stemmed dogwoods.

Position: full sun to part shade
Soil: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Rate of growth: fast
Flowering period: May to June
Hardiness: fully hardy
Hamamelis × intermedia 'Jelena'
This vase-shaped deciduous shrub boasts coppery-orange, lightly scented flowers on bare twigs in winter, while its green leaves blaze yellow, orange, and red in autumn. Perfect for sunny, sheltered borders or woodland edges, it pairs well with dogwood and makes a striking specimen. Its fragrant, flowering twigs can also be cut for indoor arrangements.

Position: full sun or partial shade
Soil: moderately fertile, moist, well-drained neutral to acid soil
Rate of growth: average
Flowering period: January to February
Hardiness: fully hardy
Helleborus × hybridus Harvington white speckled
Elegant, pendant or outward-facing, saucer-shaped flowers display a lovely white with red speckles from January to April, accompanied by leathery, deep green leaves. This appealing variety serves as an excellent ground cover for shaded areas beneath deciduous trees and shrubs. Like all hellebores, they thrive in heavy, neutral to alkaline soil.
Position: partial shade
Soil: heavy, neutral to alkaline soil
Rate of growth: average
Flowering period: January to April
Hardiness: fully hardy
Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem'
A strong Sarcococca features larger-than-usual leaves that are a glossy, deep green. In winter, it produces highly fragrant white flowers, which are succeeded by spherical, shiny red berries that eventually turn black as they ripen. This resilient plant thrives in a variety of conditions, making it particularly valuable for shaded areas.

Position: partial shade
Soil: moderately fertile, moist/well-drained soil
Rate of growth: slow
Flowering period: December to March
Hardiness: fully hardy
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