Rosie's February Flowers
February is the month when the garden starts to whisper. Not shout — whisper. These are the flowers that reward you for paying attention: quiet, tough, and more beautiful than they have any right to be at this time of year.
I've chosen eight that are genuinely at their best right now. Some you'll find at good florists, others you'll need to spot in gardens and hedgerows. All of them will make a grey February afternoon feel like something worth getting out of bed for.
Hellebore
Winter Jewels
“The flower that shows up in January when everything else has given up. Look down — they're there, nodding away in the frost like they've got a secret.”
The undisputed star of the February garden. These nodding, spotted beauties are doing their absolute best right now — look for them face-up to see the extraordinary markings inside.
The Blossomist sometimes carry hellebore stems in their winter collections — they're worth snapping up if you spot them. Not always available, which makes finding them feel like a small victory.
Snowdrop
Budget-FriendlyGalanthus nivalis
“That first cluster pushing through cold January soil — a private message that says we're still here, it's going to be alright.”
The first sign that winter is losing its grip. A tiny posy in an egg cup on the windowsill is one of life's simplest, finest pleasures.
Witch Hazel
Jelena
“Spidery copper-orange flowers on bare winter branches, smelling of cloves and honey. Proof that the garden hasn't forgotten you in January.”
That extraordinary scent on a cold February walk — spicy, sweet, almost apricot. Cut a few stems and bring them indoors. The whole house will thank you.
Cyclamen
Hederifolium
“Elegant little pink shuttlecocks rising from bare earth, unannounced, just as everything else is shutting down.”
Those swept-back petals and marbled leaves. Tough as old boots despite looking so delicate. A pot on the doorstep will flower for weeks.
Winter Aconite
Eranthis Hyemalis
“Bright buttercup-yellow pushing through frozen ground — like someone whistling cheerfully in a blizzard.”
Tiny golden cups that push through frozen ground. They look like buttercups that got confused about the calendar, and I love them for it.
Amaryllis
Red Lion
“An enormous scarlet trumpet on a stem that grows an inch a day. The antidote to the post-Christmas slump.”
Yes, I know — January's flower, really. But a late-planted bulb in February is spectacular. That slow-motion unfurling is genuinely theatrical.
The Blossomist do gorgeous potted amaryllis in winter — beautifully presented in a proper terracotta pot, already started, so you skip the waiting and go straight to the drama.
Winter Jasmine
Nudiflorum
“Tiny bright yellow stars scattered along bare stems, flowering in the cold like it's the most normal thing in the world.”
Those cheerful yellow stars on bare stems — the plant equivalent of someone who's relentlessly upbeat on a Monday morning. And I mean that as a compliment.
Christmas Box
Confusa
“One of the great olfactory ambushes — this unassuming shrub carries a perfume powerful enough to stop you from three metres away.”
Sweet box. The scent is extraordinary — vanilla, honey, and something almost tropical. You'll smell it before you see it, which is rather the point.
February is a month for noticing things. The first snowdrop. The scent of witch hazel catching you off guard on a cold walk. The way a single stem of hellebore in a jam jar can make a whole kitchen feel different. These aren't showy flowers — they're the quiet ones that do the most. Enjoy them. — Rosie
Rosie ✿