January 2025 could be a quiet month after the excitement of December’s festivities when many people think their gardens have ‘gone to bed’ for the winter. On the contrary, there are a wide range of plants, tall and small, looking lovely this month and here are ten of the best to tempt you outside!
1. Philotheca myoporoides (Gin & tonic plant)
If you love a G&T you’ll love this evergreen shrub as its leaves and flowers smell of gin and tonic! Hailing from Australia, it’s a tender, evergreen shrub. And so should be grown in a warm, frost-free environment like a heated conservatory or greenhouse. It’s also loved by florists for the clusters of pretty, pink flower buds opening to reveal white, star-shaped flowers appearing late winter.
- Flowers from November to January
- Tender
- Grows to 200cm tall and 200cm wide
- Well-drained, moderately fertile, acidic soil
- Full sun
- Sheltered
2. Clematis urophylla ‘Winter Beauty’ (Clematis)
This clematis is a great evergreen climber for winter interest. It produces clusters of small, pretty, creamy-white, nodding flowers throughout the winter months. And its attractive leaves provide year round interest. Best planted in a sheltered position to avoid cold winds. A striking addition to your January 2025 garden.
- Flowers from December to February
- Hardy
- Grows to 300cm tall and 250cm wide
- Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Full sun
- Sheltered
3. Eranthis hyemalis (Winter Aconite)
Winter aconites are one of the first plants to flower in January 2025. And they are delightfully cheerful with their bright yellow, buttercup-like flowers. These will quickly spread and naturalise when planted under deciduous trees and shrubs.
- Flowers from January to February
- Hardy
- Grows to 13cm tall and 10cm wide
- Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Full sun, light to deep shade
- Exposed
A compact, hardy, evergreen shrub with deep pink buds. These open to display masses of funnel-shaped, pale pink, frilly-petaled flowers. Keep the plant well-watered during its flowering period from January 2025 onwards. This is because it’s shallow-rooted, so the roots could destabilise if not given sufficient moisture.
- Flowers from January to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 160cm tall and 160cm wide
- Moist, well-drained, neutral to acidic soil
- Full sun part shade
- Exposed
5. Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’ (Winter heath heather)
Winter flowering heathers are great additions to the garden at this time of year. As, not only are they evergreen, but plants will be covered in flowers for five months from January 2025! They look best planted en masse for ground cover or trailing over a low wall. Although preferring acid soil they will still grow well in mildly alkaline soil.
- Flowers from January to May
- Hardy
- Grows to 20cm tall and 45cm wide
- Moist, humus-rich, well-drained, acid soil
- Full sun
- Exposed
6. Gaultheria procumbens (Checkerberry)
These low-growing, spreading, evergreen, shrubs make good ground cover. They produce pretty, white or pink, bell-shaped flowers in the summer months. Then, followed by red berries which often last from autumn until early spring. The leaves can often turn red too in the autumn months and, in America, extract from the leaves is used to make an ice cream.
- Flowers from June to August
- Hardy
- Grows to 30cm tall and 100cm wide
- Well-drained, moist, fertile, acidic to neutral soil
- Full sun or part shade
- Exposed
7. Parrotia persica (Persian Ironwood)
This is a beautiful, short trunked, spreading tree with several seasons of interest from January 2025. Take a look at the ends of the bare branches at this time of year. And you’ll see clusters of what look like ruby-red colour flowers on them, which are actually red stamens rather than petals. In spring the new leaves start off a gorgeous reddish-purple colour. Next, they mature to a glossy green during the summer months. And then produce incredible autumn colour as the leaves turn stunning shades of red, purple, orange and yellow. These remain on the tree for several weeks before falling gracefully to the ground. The bark of the tree is also extremely attractive. It’s a silvery-grey which, as it matures, peels away to reveal pink, green and yellow coloured young bark.
- Flowers from January to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 400cm tall and 300cm wide
- Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Full sun part shade
- Exposed
8. Primula ‘Chameleon’ (Primrose)
Primroses are easy to grow, delightfully cheerful late winter flowering, semi-evergreen plants for January 2025. They are available in a wide range of colours to suit most people’s tastes. ‘Chameleon’ produces salmon pink, tangerine coloured flowers with yellow centres. And they look good planted in a variety of settings as well as in containers or pots. They will form large clumps once established which can be divided at any time of the year but ideally done in late spring after flowering has finished.
- Flowers from January to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 15cm tall and 20cm wide
- Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Light shade
- Exposed
9. Viola x wittrockiana ‘Frizzle Sizzle Burgundy’ (Pansy Frizzle Sizzle Series)
Most of us are familiar with the traditional look of a pansy flower. But the Frizzle Sizzle series will cause those encountering them for the first time to definitely look twice! The ruffled, deep burgundy coloured petals have a silky look to them as well as distinctive golden ‘eyes’ in the centre of each flower. They will flower for months on end as well as being early to flower and totally winter hardy.
- Flowers from October to May
- Hardy
- Grows to 15cm tall and 15cm wide
- Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Full sun part shade
- Exposed
10. Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ (Silk-tassel bush)
The stand out feature of this easy to grow, evergreen shrub, is its 20cm long, silvery catkins which appear at the end of the year and last until early spring. It will also grow well in part shade, where its handsome catkins will lighten and be highlighted against a dark corner.
- Flowers from January to March
- Hardy
- Grows to 400cm tall and 400cm wide
- Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile, soil
- Full sun part shade
- Sheltered
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
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