Erysimum 'Citrona Orange' and 'Citrona Yellow' are cool-season annuals that make a great background planting for pansies and violas. The flower spikes reach a height of 18-24 inches. An added plus is that the flowers are very fragrant. Plant in full sun. Photo Credits: David W. Marshall

Visit your local garden center for some of the hybrid verbenas. These flowers have really surprised me, being much more cold-tolerant than I would have ever thought. They were one of the few things still blooming in the garden after December's freezes. They even survived last winter's hard freezes. These would look great in a bed with Erysimum 'Citrona Yellow' or 'Citrona Orange' in the background. Photo Credits: David W. Marshall

Gloxinia sylvatica, or Bolivian Sunset gloxinia, is a perennial that starts blooming late every fall and continues blooming on through the winter. The very hard freezes will burn it back, but it soon bounces back and is flowering again. Add a clump of these in a sunny or partially sunny spot (4-8 hours of sun) and you'll enjoy them for years to come. Photo Credits: David W. Marshall

There are a number of types of dianthus that are very reliable cool-season annuals and perennials. This one is 'Corona Cherry Magic', a low-growing, very floriferous selection with large flowers of both light pink with darker centers and dark rose pink. The combination of both light and darker flowers makes a really strikingly beautiful planting. The plants may or may not make it through the summer heat. If they don't, you will have to replant next fall. Photo Credits: David W. Marshall

Add a little color to the winter herb or vegetable garden with red Swiss chard. Or tuck some plants into the landscape. It's a good complimentary planting for cool-season flowering plants like diascia, nemsia, and petunias. And, of course, it's edible. Just be sure to give it full sun. Photo Credits: David W. Marshall

Want a good container plant that you don't have to worry about dragging in for the winter? Cordyline australis 'Red Sensation' and 'Red Star' are much more cold-tolerant than their appearance may lead you to think. Grow these red cordylines in full sun to partial shade. Photo Credits: David W. Marshall

The 'Okame' flowering cherry can be quite cheery, pardon the pun, on a gray winter day. The more frequently planted Taiwan cherry has darker pink, almost reddish, flowers. Photo Credits: David W. Marshall

The native eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, often begins blooming by late February and continues on into March. It is a small but rapidly growing tree, reaching a height of 20-30 feet. Flowers appear before the tree leafs out, so they are quite noticeable. Photo Credits: David W. Marshall

The red maple, Acer rubrum, is also an early bloomer. Flowers usually appear in late February and are followed by the even showier red seeds. The tree grows to about 45-50 feet tall. Red maples prefer moist soil, so avoid very sandy sites. Photo Credits: David W. Marshall