Who says you cannot have brilliant color outdoors during the wintertime?  For people that love gardening, the winter is a sad time of year.  Everything has been pruned back, the blooms are gone, and the gardens are no longer vivid with color.  However, in truth you can still choose plants, shrubs, and trees to plant in or near your garden to keep the color going all year long.

Take the sugar maple for example.  The colors are magnificent, blazing and breathtaking.  Having a four-season garden is something you can achieve, simply with good planning.  Just keep in mind that if you live in Zone 6 or lower, then having blooms will probably not happen until sometime in March or perhaps, April.

Some great options for winter gardens include Hellebores foetidus.  This flower is chartreuse that blooms in the late winter.  While the blooms are not the most vibrant you have ever seen, they do produce enough color to add character to any garden, especially in the winter.  Another good option is Rhododendrons, which are good winter choices along with Magnolias.

What you want to look for is plants that bloom after the crocus.  Take the Royal Velvet Ajuga for example.  This flower keeps its color all year, providing an unusual metallic purple colored bloom with rich green foliage.  The Woodruff and Euphorbia purpurea are also great choices.  In addition to the flowers, you also want to think about hedges, many of which will grow bright red berries.  Dogwoods are good choices in that they product gold, orange, and red leaves that enhances any garden.  In addition to the rich, festive color, these shrubs are also nice since they have great texture, and can be shaped. 

You can even use some ornamental grasses during the wintertime to create interest in your garden.  The Miscanthus gracillimus is one that can withstand the winter months and is beautiful.  Another great option is to plant dwarf conifers, heathers, and heaths.  For instance, you will find conifers of gold and bronze that look rich and gorgeous.  Then add in an Andorrah juniper that turns to lovely shades of plum, and you have a wonderful winter display.  Heaths will often bloom in the winter, developing blooms of various colors.  For the heaths that do not bloom, the foliage will turn a rich red, bronze, or gold.  Check with your local nursery or gardening center to get recommendations on the type of plants and flowers perfect for your zone and that will add color to your winter garden.

In addition to flowers and plants, you can add other things to your garden to create color.  For instance, you can place red mulch in the flowerbeds or set out colorful bird and squirrel feeders.  Coneflowers, Cosmos, and Echinacea are great for the birds, drawing in bright red Cardinals and vivid Blue Jay.