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to “Where can I find winter blooming plants for zone 5 in mid Missouri?”

1. Oh god!! Says:
   December 27th, 2008 at 7:20 pm

   I live in Iowa and my family has gotten stuff from Gurney’s for many years. Happy Planting!

2. loudondale Says:
   December 29th, 2008 at 3:36 am

   helleborus bloom in the winter. the variety with white blooms is called a “christmas rose”. hellebores come in a variety of colors, mostly shades of pink. they bloom from approximately December to March or April. They are perenials, so you don’t have to replant every year.
   hardy english primrose also bloom in the winter and can be acquired in colors like bright yellow, red, white, purple; most have a bright yellow center. both can be purchased at local nurseries or from catalogues. type the name of the pant you are looking for in your browser and you should get quite a selection of nurseries to chose from.

3. gardengallivant Says:
   December 29th, 2008 at 5:10 pm

   To buy these look up places on ‘The Garden Watchdog Guide to Gardening by Mail’ or use them to find a local nursery by zipcode
   Daphnes
   Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’ and ‘Somerset’ Powerful fragrance from small white or purplish flowers in late spring; 3 by 3-5 feet;
   Many other daphne species are also highly fragrant, including Garland flower (D. cneorum), Alpine daphne (D. alpina), Caucasian daphne. D. caucasica), Winter daphne (D. odora), February daphne (D. mezereum ), D. bholua and D. tangutica.

   Witch hazels (Hamamelis mollis, H. vernalis and hybrids) Long-lasting spidery yellow, orange, or red flowers open in winter; part shade or sun; 15 by 15 feet; ‘Arnolds Promise’ is the smallest at 6×10 in yellow. ‘Diane’ is red. They can be espaliered and are very fragrant. Just a twig opening indoors will sweeten the room.

   Perennial include
   Helleborus x hybridus full sun! but lots more colors are coming out, apricot doubles are great against really dark burgundy ones.
   Epimedium x rubrum Bishops hat does well where columbines are happy but also tolerates dry conditions. Grow this with Mahonia repens, creeping mahonia, as an interesting groundcover
   Brunnera macrophylla, Feb – Mar depending on cv
   Winter Honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima
   Winterhazels (Corylopsis spp.) are touchy to grow compared to Hamamelis. Corylopsis glabrescens is the hardiest . Very fragrant!
   Don’t forget the bulbs to complement
   Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), giant snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii), snow crocus (Crocus chrysanthus) and the earliest Iris I. reticulata & I. unguicularis

4. r k a S Says:
   December 30th, 2008 at 9:08 pm

   The earliest Anemone blanda cultivar, ‘White Splendour’ (Zone 4), lifts blazing white daisy flowers in frosty sunlight. Springing from small, black tubers, these little anemones, most effective in clusters, should be planted in autumn (soak the tubers overnight). Also in various shades of blue and pink (including the vivid pink ‘Radar’), in time they spread into a thick and dependable clump. Their cousin, the pasque flower (A. pulsatilla, syn. Pulsatilla vulgaris, Zone 5) grows from a fibrous root, preferably in gritty, alkaline soil, opening silken bell-shaped flowers soon after. Pasque flower’s feathery foliage and fuzzy seed heads are attractive all season, with spring flowers of white, pale mauve, pink, deep violet or red.
   Clusters of early primroses seem to love any degree of cold and damp weather, and ignore the abuses of whippy spring winds. The prominent yellow buds of the common primrose (Primula vulgaris, Zone 5) and cowslip (P. veris, Zone 5) dwarf the leaf tips struggling to emerge below. The small pots of stridently coloured primroses sold in supermarkets back in January have been forced in greenhouses, but you can keep them on a cool windowsill until it’s warm enough to transplant them to the garden, where they’ll come back to brighten shady corners in springs to come.
   Early spreading plants cover bare ground when it’s most appreciated. Puffy mats of creeping or moss phlox (Phlox subulata, Zone 4) spill over low retaining walls or mass on flat ground. Where they get enough bright light, their foliage can be completely covered by a profusion of petals of deep blue and purple, red, pink and white with contrasting “eyes”. Older plants benefit from cutting back after blooming so stems can renew themselves. Other early spreaders are Corydalis lutea, which has yellow flowers (Zone 4) and C. ochroleuca, with white blooms with yellow lip dots and blue-green, ferny foliage that’s attractive all season (Zone 5). Corydalis begins blooming when only 15 centimetres high and continues until frost, some reaching 45 centimetres tall, with equal spread. They are generous with their flowers and seeds, and young plants are always available, but they’re easily removed where not needed. A good plant for eastern or northern exposures in moist, loamy soil, Corydalis prefers to be out of bright sun.

   Hope this helps!

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