Cold Hardy Patio Plants

Winter Jasmine

• Winter jasmine makes a beautiful addition to your patio plants and is cold-hardy. It is, in fact, the most winter-hardy jasmine. It is a small mounded plant, growing up to 2 feet in height, with arching stems. The draping stems make this plant attractive and unique in patio containers. The leaves may fall off following a frost, but the stems remain green, giving it an evergreen appearance. Winter jasmine produces small, yellow trumpet flowers starting as early as January and lasting until March. Winter jasmine does well in both sun and shade, so place it where you find it most attractive on your patio.

Amaryllis Flowers

• Amaryllis flowers are grown from bulbs and they flower anywhere from December to June. They provide a pop of color for your patio garden even during the colder months. Plant the bulbs in a nutritious potting compost eight weeks before you want them to bloom. According to the Amaryllis website, these flowers come in "various shades of red, white, pink, salmon and orange. There are also many striped and multicolored varieties, usually combining shades of pink or red with white." Amaryllis flowers can be started indoors or out. Water the planted bulbs sparingly and increase your watering when stems begin appearing and increase watering when leaves and flowers appear.

Pygmy Bamboo

• Pygmy bamboo is a small variety that can be planted in containers. According to the Stokes Tropicals website, pygmy bamboo "does great in containers." The small, compact bamboo shoots make for an interesting plant for your patio garden and create a small bamboo thicket in the pot. Pygmy bamboo is cold-hardy, so it still looks attractive even during the winter months. According to the Backyard Gardener website, pygmy bamboo produces medium green culms with purplish tips. One to two branches emerge from each node. The leaves are fan-shaped, about 3 inches in length and a medium-green color. The bamboo is an evergreen, meaning it keeps its green color throughout the winter months.