How cold does it get?....Pansys might do....but I doube if anything will flower all winter...
Linda C

It can get pretty cold. Pansies will usually flower most of the winter if they get enough sun. I just was hoping for something different.

Thanks

Snapdragons are the only other thing that I can think of. They were blooming during our "sorry excuse for snow" that we get every year.

I second the snapdragon suggestion. They need excellent drainage to survive the winter in Zone 7. There are some flowering shrubs, too--Hamamaelis, Corylopsis and Jasminum nudiflorum come to mind. They are a bit too large for containers, though.

I had osteopurmum blooming one year till Christmas. (Mild weather) You might try some erysimum.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

I am familiar with snap dragons and have some growing now. I had no idea they are so hardy.

Is Osteopurmum, Hamamaelis, Corylopsis and Jasminum nudiflorum something I should expect to find locally?

In North Carolina, you might well find the shrubs I mentioned locally. If not, check mail order sources, especially those in NC (I end up ordering from Plant Delights on a lamentably regular basis). Check gardenwatchdog.com for listings of mail-order nurseries.

Dianthus.....ok some of them are perennials but you never know what you're getting these days. Also don't forget flowering kale. Alyssum might do ok for a while. Swiss chard can be colorful too even if it is a veggie. And of course there's always loose leaf lettuce for a bright green look--and for salads too.

I got these ideas from a local nursery's newsletter so check with your local folks.

what about cyclamen coum? It comes in several colors and blooms in the winter. I have no personal experience with it, but I am definitely interested in trying it in my garden.

bren

Here is a link that might be useful: Hardy Cyclamen