Create winter magic in the garden with plants that can withstand frost

If you are a plant that retains its shape and color even when covered with a thin layer of ice - there is something delicate and beautiful about it. Plants that can withstand a few degrees below freezing extend the season in the garden and many of them can also retain their green color all year round. It is exciting to see a green branch sticking out in the snow, serving as a reminder that spring is soon to come back. Additionally, flowering, frost-resistant plants are a delight for many insects that go into hibernation late in the fall - they are more than happy to receive the last portion of nectar and pollen before their long winter sleep.

The Christmas rose is perhaps the most enchanting winter plant. There are 21 species, and they bloom - depending on the variety - both in winter and spring. According to an old saga, it is said that the Christmas rose "Helleborus Niger" was created in the snow when a young girl realized she had no gift for the newborn Jesus. Where her tears fell, the Christmas rose is said to have started to grow. Whether there is any truth in this is unclear, but what we do know is that there are most species of Christmas roses on the Balkan Peninsula. The colors of the Christmas rose range from the whitest white to the darkest shades of purple-red - almost black - and it is nice to plant with, for example, ornamental cabbage in green, white, and deep pink, preferably in pots. Few plants are more beautiful than cabbage when it is dressed in frost.

If you are looking for frost-resistant green or silver plants, there are many good options, and ivy is one of them. It stays green all year round and its delicate branches can serve as both ground cover and climbing plant. A simple ivy branch in a vase looks sophisticated, and can stay fresh if given new water. When the branch develops roots, it can be planted outdoors. Also hostas and dusty miller last long into the fall. Hostas are excellent as shade plants and the leaves come in a variety of colors. They bloom in the summer and bees love them. Dusty miller is a perennial Mediterranean plant that can overwinter in mild areas – it is low-maintenance, thrives in all weather conditions, and looks nice both in a pot and as a border plant in the flower bed. Silver thread is another option. It is shaped like a ball and produces perfectly round, yellow flowers in the summer.

For those who want to work with larger brush strokes in the garden, evergreen conifers are worth a closer look. Korean fir stricta and Leyland cypress Ellwoodii fit nicely in most gardens. The sugar pine is another favorite. Over time, it develops into a compact visual barrier, and for Christmas you can decorate it with lights and decorations - it will make the snow sparkle and look inviting through the darkest time of the year.

Liselotte Roll, Swedish garden inspirator, journalist and author of books about nature, cultivation, and animals, such as "Earth", "Cultivate for Insects" and "Chickens as a Hobby".