Warm up with flaming-hot flowering shrubs

As sizzling-hot as the name suggests, the bright, burnt-orange blooms of the Aloe Peri-Peri are a favourite in South African winter gardens. The aloe is suitable for flower beds, rockeries, and containers, even flourishing in seemingly inhospitable, irregular landscapes. What’s more, it’s a waterwise indigenous plant, and is loved by butterflies – making it all the more lovely among the flowering shrubs in your winter garden. If you’d like to add a few of these beauties to your outdoor space, plant them in full sun for healthy plant growth and bounteous blooms.

Succulents are beautiful in rock gardens, and when they have a little pop of colour, they can really elevate the look of surrounding lush greenery. One of our favourite succulents for the chillier seasons is the Euphorbia hybrid ‘Pink Lipstick’. It has large, protruding green leaves, soft thorns, and flowers that are reddish-pink in colour. It is an ideal choice for your winter garden as it starts flowering in late winter, and continues to produce blooms right through spring. Plant your Euphorbia plants in a dry area of your garden that receives plenty of light to enjoy a bright and colourful display.

Another stunning variety at this time of year, the winter-blooming Camellia japonica ‘Kramer’s Supreme’ is a fiery force of nature. Its striking red peony-like flowers pop against its dark green foliage – a real statement if you choose it for your winter garden beds. Just be sure to plant Camellia flowers in well-drained soil in a shaded area, as these plants are sensitive to excessive sunlight.

All hail the Aloe Firechief, ruler of the winter garden! This popular indigenous plant produces gorgeous deep-orange flowers, attracting many butterflies and bird species. Like other aloe varieties, the Firechief is water-wise and hardy, making it a nice addition to a rockery-type landscape. We love this aloe because it brings the pop of red that we’re after this season, and the low-maintenance demands we expect from aloes.

Elegant, winter-loving, and produces semi-double cerise pink blooms? We’re talking about none other than the Camellia hiemalis ‘Kanjiro’. It looks stunning in hanging baskets and garden pots, flowering throughout winter. If you choose to plant yours in a container of some kind, just be sure to place it out of direct sunlight, as too much heat does not fare well for these flowering shrubs.