Noted for its colorful stems and stunning winter display, Salix alba var. vitellina 'Britzensis' (Scarlet Willow) is a medium-sized deciduous tree, often grown as a multi-stemmed shrub. It sports bright, red to orange-red new stems that glow throughout winter, seeming to intensify as spring approaches. In spring and summer, it bears narrow, lanceolate, finely-toothed leaves that usually turn yellow in the fall, before falling to the ground and revealing the spectacular stems. Its showy catkins are large and yellow. Regarded as one of the finest large, upright willows with colored bark, 'Britzensis' is a great addition to the winter garden.

Few sights surpass a mixed planting of Cyclamen coum (Persian Violet) on an early spring morning! Award-winning Cyclamen coum is an early spring bloomer with lovely heart-shaped, glossy leaves and small but showy flowers in shades of white to rosy-purple with every hue in between. Adding several weeks of cheerful color and beauty to the garden in late winter - early spring, the blossoms are so abundant that they almost obscure the leaves! Very decorative, the leaves may be plain dark green but are also adorned with pretty silver patterns.

Noted for its colorful stems and twigs in winter, Bloodtwig Dogwood 'Midwinter Fire' (Cornus sanguinea) is a hard plant to beat for a colorful show in the winter garden. It features spectacular decorative features: golden fall foliage followed by branches and stems that start yellow at the base of the plant and gradually turn bright orange to crimson towards the tip of the plant. Fragrant tiny white flowers appear in late spring that will attract butterflies. They will give way to clusters of dark purple berries in summer that are very attractive to birds.

Celebrated in songs and stories, Helleborus niger, commonly called Christmas Rose, is a winter-blooming evergreen perennial with large, bowl-shaped, glistening white flowers, 3 in. across (8 cm), adorned with crowns of showy golden-yellow stamens. Unlike most hellebores, the flowers face outward attracting interest. They are borne on short, thick stems and generally do not rise above the foliage of palmate, deeply-lobed, dark green leaves. Native to the mountains of southern and central Europe, Christmas Roses open around Christmastime in warm winter areas, and in early spring in cooler winter regions.