How to have color all through winter

Softly colored Sweet Pea in a vase. Photo by Natalie Kinnear.

If you’ve been itching to bring a little old-fashioned charm to your winter garden, November is the perfect time in Houston to plant cool-season flowers like poppies, larkspur, and sweet peas. These early bloomers love our mild winters, and with just a little care now, you’ll be rewarded with a burst of color come spring.

Timing and Transplants

Ideally, these flowers are started from seed in October, but if you didn’t get around to it — no worries! November is still a great time to plant transplants from your local nursery. Transplants give you a head start and are the easiest option this time of year. They’ll settle in quickly while the weather is still mild and start growing strong roots before the real chill sets in.

Poppies

Icelandic poppies come in a variety of beautiful colors

One of my favorite flowers, poppies are delicate beauties with papery petals and silvery green foliage. While it’s best to grow them from seed, poppies transplant well if you find healthy transplants.

Handle them gently when planting, making sure not to disturb their roots. Plant in full sun and well-draining soil and water regularly but lightly; poppies prefer their soil on the dry side once established.

Larkspur

Larkspur brings tall, elegant spikes of purple, pink, and white — they look like something out of an English garden. Normally they’re sown from seed in fall, but transplants can work well too if you plant them before mid-December.

Plant in full sun to very light shade; they love cool air and sunshine. Keep soil moist but not soggy, and give them space to grow — about 10–12 inches between plants. You may want to stake them if your area gets windy or if the plants get tall.

Sweet Peas

Sweet peas are the fragrant darlings of the spring garden and probably the most transplant-friendly of the three. Look for small, sturdy plants with healthy green leaves. Plant them now while it’s still cool enough for them to establish strong roots.

Plant in full sun with a little afternoon shade if possible. They’ll need a trellis or netting to climb. Keep the roots cool with a light mulch or compost layer. Water regularly, especially as the vines start to grow. Once they start to bloom, pick the flowers often to encourage more flowers and keep them from going to seed too early. Plus, you’ll get beautiful blooms for your vases!

Where to Plant

All three of these flowers love full sun, but in Houston’s climate, a spot that gets morning sun and light afternoon shade works beautifully. They prefer well-draining soil, so raised beds or amended garden soil are best.

General Care

• Water: Keep soil evenly moist while plants are getting established.

• Fertilizer: A balanced, slow-release flower fertilizer at planting time will help. Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizers — you want flowers, not just leaves. We recommend Microlife Max Blooms as a bi-monthly liquid fertilizer.

• Mulch: A thin layer of mulch or compost helps protect roots and regulate soil temperature. Or plant them in your raised beds and plant densely so the other plants will shade the soil.

The Reward

By late winter, you’ll start seeing buds forming, and by early spring your garden will be full of color, texture, and movement. Poppies will sway in the breeze like paper lanterns, larkspur will rise tall and regal, and sweet peas will fill the air with their soft fragrance.

Plant them now, and when everyone else’s gardens are still waking up, yours will already be in bloom. Happy flower gardening!