Winter plants need water, so don’t forget to give them a good drink once a week or so, especially if it hasn’t rained.

Rubber plantPansies are hardy and bloom all winter. We use them as ground covers all season, and they can be planted even in the cold of November – January, before spring flowering plants are ready to come up.

My two favorites are:

‘Whooping Purple Whiskers’, which has huge flowers and is sold by Ball Seed.And ‘Cool Wave Purple’, a trailing variety good for pots and baskets, from Pan American Seed.

Viola’sThese are a small flowering version of pansies. The flowers are small, but there are lots of them throughout the garden and they add a lot of life to any bed.

WallflowerThis is a tough winter blooming annual. It is drought tolerant and can survive cold temperatures. Wallflowers have been cultivated for a long time. It was a favorite of the Romans, and it was brought to England when the Romans arrived and occupied the historic city.

This winter flower has long been a favorite among gardeners, prized for its beautiful, sweet fragrance.

Purple kaleThis plant has fantastic structure and very colorful leaves. It is very cold hardy and best of all it is edible.

My two favorite varieties are:

Redbor: It has an open, upright growth habit that makes it stand out from a distance. It is good to use in Italian wedding soup.Purple Prince: It has a beautiful bright “hot” purple center that fades to purple on the outer leaves. It is often used as a garnish to dress up Christmas candy trays.It’s the perfect time to plant some of these purple beauties in your garden so you can enjoy a splash of color whatever the weather.