How to Decorate a House's Outdoors With Flowers for Winter

Winter's landscape can seem colorless and bleak compared to the brilliant blooms of summer, but your home's exterior doesn't have to do without flowers in the winter. Climates with mild winters have several flower suitable for cold months. If you suffer through subzero temperatures and snow all winter, you can use artificial flowers to decorate outdoors.

Not all shrubs take a long winter's nap. Evergreen shrubs add a touch of green to your winter landscape. Some of those evergreen bushes also produce flowers during the winter months, adding a decorative look to your home's exterior. The leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei) is an evergreen shrub that grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. It produces yellow blooms to brighten its evergreen foliage in late winter and early spring. Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) can grow either as a vine or shrub with arching branches in USDA zones 6 through 10. Yellow flowers grow on the winter jasmine in late winter. The Jelena witch hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia "Jelena") is another perennial shrub with winter blooms for USDA zones 5 through 8. The flowers have wavy petals in a deep orange to copper color and grow in the winter on the bare branches of the shrub.

If you want a smaller plant to decorate your winter exterior, you can find a few flowers that bloom even in the winter. Some of the flowers can grow in the ground if you live in a climate with mild winters. Another option is to plant the flowers in pots. This gives you more control over placement and allows you to move the flowers to protect them from extreme winter weather. The Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) is an example of a perennial flower that blooms during winter in warm climates or in late winter to early spring in cold climates. It grows in USDA zones 3 through 8. Trailing lantana (Lantana sellowiana) blooms throughout the winter in USDA zones 9 through 11. Its lavender flowers grow well in winter flowerpots.

If you don't live in a hardiness zone that allows winter flower growth, don't despair. You can still get a floral, decorative look using dried or artificial flowers. When you use artificial plants, you aren't limited to the flowers that grow in your zone. You also cut out the plant care. A winter wreath with dried flowers is a fitting way to decorate your home's exterior. Another idea is to use pine boughs in a flowerpot to create upright greenery. Tuck in artificial flowers and berries throughout the pine boughs to add color to the outdoor winter display.

Gardeners often treat winter flowers in the landscape as they do summer arrangements. Plant shrubs near the house to add winter color to that area of the landscape. Use flowerpots or urns from your summer annuals to plant your winter flowers. Arrange the pots amid the bushes or near your front entryway. The colorful pots draw attention to your front door for winter curb appeal. Choose spots that are protected from strong, cold winter winds.