Winter and early spring are gloomy times. The days are short, the weather is murky and most garden plants are dormant. What you need is a bit of sunshine.

Fortunately, at this time of year, you can find plants with bright sunny yellow flowers despite the cold. This ‘winter gold’ will warm your heart and lift your spirits, even on the darkest of days.

Primula

hanging-baskets-with-primula-polyanthus

Primula are great bedding plants for containers and come in a huge range of colours, from off-white and butter yellow to orange tones.

Crocus

Many crocus varieties are purple, but some produce rich yellow flowers. They open wide in early spring sunshine and look great naturalised in the lawn.

Witch hazel

Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel is a deciduous shrub that produces incredible flowers with strappy petals that look like fireworks. Great for cutting and bringing indoors to display.

Winter aconite

A woodland plant that blooms in the depths of winter and produces cup-shaped flowers above a ring of leaves. Plant them under deciduous trees or shrubs to keep them cool in summer.

Daffodils

daffodils

daffodils

Daffodils are the classic yellow garden flower. They herald the arrival of spring, with some varieties flowering as early as January. Try Narcissus ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ and ‘Tete-a-tete’.

Coronilla valentina

A bushy evergreen shrub with silvery-green leaves and scented, pea-like yellow flowers. It blooms from summer right up to winter.

Pussy willow

Pussy willow

Pussy Willow trees or salix produce furry catkins that bear yellow pollen in early spring. Small varieties look great in pots with yellow bedding plants put around the base.

Viola

Violas can be bred to flower in autumn and winter, making them perfect for containers. Keep them moist for a long display.

Forsythia

forsythia-shrub-yellow-flowers in March

Forysthia is a great shrub for garden colour. It produces little yellow flowers all along the branches in spring.

Mahonia

Mahonia shrubs have lovely evergreen leaves and long spires covered in delicate yellow flowers that bloom early in the year.

Wintersweet

Chimonanthus praecox wintersweet for january gardens

Grow Chimonanthus praecox against a sunny wall for delicate flowers and a spicy scent along the woody stems from November to March.

Cytisus

Broom is a popular shrub that produces little yellow flowers in spring. It will grow in any soil and can be evergreen or deciduous.

Here are my 12 favourite flowering plants for spring!

For more garden planting ideas, check out my blog:

Or check out my Pinterest board for more ideas: