Evergreen Perennials Brighten Winter Gardens

Cheddar Pinks; Photo credit: Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

When those winter temperatures set in, that doesn’t mean your Indiana garden needs to be colorless. While many do not fare well, some select perennials in the Indiana garden look vibrant as ever when winter arrives.

Evergreen perennials hold on to their foliage even in the coldest temps and under inches of snow. Some of these plants may even sport a flower or two in December.

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Here are three low-maintenance, reliable, evergreen perennials for your Indiana winter landscape. All are good companion plants with spring bulbs, too.

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Cheddar Pinks

Cheddar pinks (Dianthus gratianopolitanus) have clove-like fragrant pink flowers in spring. The rest of the year, the blue-green, needle-like leaves form a tight mat that can take an occasional footstep.

This plant’s name comes from its native habitat in the Cheddar Gorge in England. Pinks describe the edges of the flowers, which look like they’ve been trimmed with pinking shears. Take your shears and snip a few flowers for indoor fragrance and enjoyment.

Cheddar pinks work well in hot sunny areas, such as a rock garden or along the edges of a sidewalk or driveway. A favorite, Bath’s pink, spreads but is not aggressive or invasive. It’s tough and practically grows on concrete. The evergreen blue mat is only about 2 inches tall. The flowers are 5 inches tall.

Caring for Cheddar pinks is relatively easy. Snip off flowers when they are done blooming. This plant does not need supplemental watering. Too much water may cause Cheddar pinks to rot. Fertilizer also is not usually needed. To divide, cut off a clump and nestle it where the soil has been roughed up. Water lightly as needed for a few weeks to help the division become established.

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Creeping Phlox

The name describes its growing habit and includes two eastern U.S. native species. Another spring-blooming ground cover perennial, creeping phlox (P. stolonifera, P. subulata) is known to rebloom in fall and winter. However, the late-season show is spotty compared to spring. Creeping phlox is a ground hugger even when in bloom, reaching only 2 to 3 inches tall. It will have about a 12- to 18-inch spread. This plant also can take a footstep or two.

Sometimes called moss phlox, green needle-like leaves retain their good looks through winter. The leaf color brightens with new growth in spring, and the flowers emerge. Grow in dry, full sun areas, such as a rock garden or at the edges of garden beds. Starts of creeping phlox are readily available in garden centers in early spring.

Cut or shear back flowers when they are done blooming. The best time to divide creeping phlox is early spring, late summer or early fall. Lift the plant and separate or divide it into sections. Place the divisions in their new garden home in loosely prepared soil. Water lightly for a few weeks until established.

Candytuft

This long-blooming, evergreen perennial is the tallest of the three. Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is 16 to 18 inches tall and wide. It has a tight, mounded habit with clusters of white flowers over deep green leaves in spring.

It’s completely at home in hot, dry areas. Grow in full sun in fast-draining soil. Candytuft holds onto its dark green leaves all winter. Cut a few flowers for indoor enjoyment.

You can shear spent flowers when they are done blooming or allow them to remain. The spent flowers age nicely and are barely noticeable. Divide in fall. Water during long dry spells.

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About the author: Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp blogs at hoosiergardener.com, where you can sign up for her free monthly award-winning Hoosier Gardener newsletter.