15 Winter Flowers for Indian Gardens

Northern Himalayan regions and Eastern parts of India experience a cold winter whereas southern states experience more temperate climate. In these months, the winter flowering plants become very popular. These plants have a short lifecycle, raising from seeds, grow, bloom and vanish in a few months. These are annuals which are grown in beds or green borders, edging or as window pox pots which can be purchased online at our store.

1. Alyssum (Elisa Phool) – This is a low growing plant whose beautiful white flowers spread like carpet in the garden. The soothing and honey-scented white flowers add a calming effect and can survive in demanding conditions like droughts too. Alyssum is a must-have for pollination if there are many bees and butterflies hovering around.
2. Antirrhinum (Snapdragon) - They are famous as Dog plants in India and are named so because of their resemblance to a dragon mouth. Native to North America, the cold north- Indian states are bear these hardy and natural winter flowering plants and crimson yellow and white-coloured flowers are also useful for decorative purposes. The flowers growth to the length of 6 to 48 inches depending on variety.
3. Aster - These star-shaped flowers resembling those of daisy, are perennial plants. They come in different sizes and colours. Though native to South America, these plants can survive North Indian winters as well. They can tolerate exposure to full sun, but the pot and soil should be well-drained.
4. Calendula (Pot Marigold) – Also called Calendula officinalis, this cheery bedding flower can sustain in cold climatic conditions and bear the direct sunlight. The yellow-orange flowers add a great amount of warmth in the interiors and grow easily.
5. Clarkia - A hardy annual with slender branches & attractive long spikes of flowers. It can be grown as a pot plant. The common botanical name is Godetia genus, but the formal name was named in honour of the explorer Captain William Clark.
6. Dianthus (Sweet William) - Double or single fragrant, colourful flowers are born at the top of the branches in rounded clusters. The plant is suitable for beds, borders, rock gardens, or window boxes.
7. Hollyhock – Also called Alcea rosea, this is a tall majestic annual native to Asia and Europe. The large flowers are crop up on the axis of leaves all along the length of the stem. Hollyhocks can be used as a background plant, screen, open space shrubbery or annual border and is considered a gardener’s favourite.
8. Larkspur - Larkspur is a fascinating member of the Buttercup family, with flowers almost as complex as the orchids and colourful blooms covering a spectrum from white to blue to violet. When in bloom, these big flower spikes are lovely in the garden and indoors in vases. Colours include light and dark pink, blue, rose, lavender and white. Larkspur are members of the Delphinium family.
9. Pansy – Pansies are known to survive even in harsh winters. Their butterfly-shaped flowers are beautiful and are available in many contrasting colours. These low growing plants can grow well in a shade of tall plants, adding further to the beauty in the garden.
10. Petunia – These grow in various colours, shapes and sizes and so are considered highly decorative with the trumpet-shaped flowers. These plants are easy to grow, as they don’t require too much sunlight, draining helped by the climate and sandy soil for the seeds to germinate.
11. Phlox - One of the most well-known to be grown in warm climates and favourite annuals grown for its beautiful display and long-lasting blooming period, it requires intensive care during winter period. Wide range of colours are observed in the flowers  which are delicately scented, many with contrasting eye-like patterns. It has many varieties which all require full sun and well-drained, fertile soil.
12. Salvia – Perennial Salvia, also known and “Sage” in the mint family, bloom from summer to autumn. Clip bloom spikes with tubular bright scarlet flowers are borne above the foliage. Salvia ideal for growing in mass, in beds, borders, background shrubbery, under trees and semi-shaded places and is also “drought-resistant”.
13. Sweet pea - Sweet pea flower (Lathyrus odoratus) are climbing plants that bear clusters of flowers in a wide variety of colours including red, pink, blue, white, and lavender. They are early summer flowers with a long season of bloom and make excellent cut flowers. They are native to the Mediterranean region but grow very well in India too. The flowers resemble fringed butterflies while their stems appear to be folded.
14. Verbena – An easily flowering, low-growing, spreading plants, Verbenas or Vervain can grow from 6 inches to 4 feet high and may be bushy or a creeper. Flowers can be multi-coloured which grow in clusters with light mauve, white, rose pink as common colours.
15. Statice – also called Sea Lavender, the dandelion-like flowers of this plant retain their shades for a long time when dried to paper-like texture and are used for dry decoration as ‘everlasting’ flowers. Best growth occurs when the plants are exposed to full sun and are planted in well-drained soil. Statice will tolerate heat and drought as well as salt spray.

Mudita Khanna (mudita.khanna@gmail.com) has contributed to this article.