The garden in winter: colour, care and frost protection
Winter in Cyprus is mild in coastal areas, but inland and in the mountains there is frost. It is also the rainy season and the best time for planting, because plants root before the heat.
In this guide you will find plants that give colour in the winter months, how to protect tender plants from the cold, and the jobs the garden needs at this time of year. Each card also shows the lowest temperature the plant tolerates.
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Winter flowers and fruit
Few plants flower in the depth of winter, but those that do stand out. Together with shrubs that hold their fruit, they bring the garden to life when most plants have stopped.
Flowers from winter to spring, with white-pink flowers on dark, glossy foliage. Copes with part shade too.
The fragrant sweet violet flowers in early spring. Low, for part-shaded corners and pots.
Small, very fragrant flowers in autumn, when the rest of the garden goes quiet.
Red to orange berries in dense clusters that decorate the shrub in autumn and winter.
After flowering it carries round orange fruit that lasts into winter. The fruit is toxic.
Flowers into late autumn
These plants keep flowering into autumn and bridge the gap between summer and winter.
Purple flowers every day from spring to autumn. Takes heat and drought.
Pale blue flowers from summer to autumn, for informal hedges and walls.
The 'chameleon': flowers open white and turn pink during the day. Deciduous, flowers into autumn.
Yellow trumpet flowers from spring to autumn. Sensitive to frost.
Coloured foliage all year
In winter, colour comes mainly from foliage. Golden, silver, blue and variegated evergreens keep the garden bright even when nothing is in flower.
Bright golden-yellow foliage all year, for edging and low hedges. Needs sun.
Small yellow-green leaves. Clips into low, bright lines.
Two-tone leaves, green with yellow. Very tough, even near the sea.
Myrtle with white-edged leaves. Fragrant and bright.
Lemon-yellow, fragrant foliage in a conical shape. Also good in a large pot.
Silver, felty foliage that lightens grey days.
The blue Mediterranean fan palm, with silvery-blue fans. Very cold-tolerant.
Low blue-grey tufts for edges, gravel and pots.
Frost protection
Before winter, check which plants in your garden tolerate only a few degrees above zero. The lowest temperature is shown on each plant's page and on the cards in this guide. Tropical plants such as bougainvillea, Strelitzia reginae, Archontophoenix palms and Tecoma need the most care inland.
- On nights with frost forecast, cover tender plants with frost fleece or a light cloth. Remove it in the morning, once it warms up.
- Don't cover them with plastic that touches the leaves: the cold passes through the plastic and burns the leaves where they touch.
- Move pots close to a house wall or under a roof. Roots in a pot freeze more easily than roots in the ground.
- A layer of bark or straw at the base protects the roots from the cold.
- Young, newly planted plants are more vulnerable than established ones. In cold areas, plant the most tender species in spring.
- If a plant is burnt by frost, don't prune it straight away. The damaged branches protect the inside of the plant from later frosts. Prune in spring, once you can see where it regrows.
Watering in winter
- With the rains, turn automatic irrigation right down or off. Soil holds moisture longer in winter and too much water rots roots.
- Check the soil before watering, pushing a finger 2–3 cm in. Water only if it is dry.
- Pots under a roof or balcony don't get rain and need watering in winter too.
- In dry, windy spells, evergreens lose water through their leaves and may need a watering.
- Water early in the morning, not in the evening, especially if a cold night is expected.
Winter garden jobs
- Planting: November to February is the best time for trees, shrubs, hedges and herbs. The rains help plants root before summer.
- Pruning deciduous plants: grapevines, figs and pomegranates are pruned in winter, while dormant.
- Frost-tender plants such as bougainvillea and duranta are pruned in early spring, after the frosts.
- Feeding: most plants need no fertiliser in winter. Start again in spring.
- Before the heavy rains, check that water drains from beds and pots and doesn't pool around roots.
- Rake fallen leaves off the lawn and low plants. Around shrubs and trees they can stay as mulch.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to plant in Cyprus?
- From November to February for most plants. The exceptions are palms and very frost-tender tropical plants, which root better when the soil is warm, from spring onwards.
- How do I protect plants from frost?
- Cover tender plants with frost fleece on cold nights and remove it in the morning. Move pots close to a wall or under a roof, and put bark or straw at the base to protect the roots.
- Which plants flower in winter?
- Of the plants we grow, Viburnum tinus flowers from winter to spring and sweet violet in early spring. Colour also comes from the berries of pyracantha and duranta, and from golden, silver and variegated foliage.
- How much should I water in winter?
- Much less than in summer. With the rains, automatic irrigation is usually switched off. Always check the soil moisture first, and don't forget pots that don't get rain.
- A plant was burnt by frost. What do I do?
- Don't prune it straight away. Let the damaged branches protect the plant until the frosts are over and prune in spring, once you can see where it regrows.
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