Few plants that flower in winter are as dependable as the hellebore and if you are looking for something to flower in December, look no further than the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), while the Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus) takes over from January and keeps going well into spring. 

Hellebores have nodding, cup-shaped flowers that come in white, soft pinks, deep plums and near-black, often freckled on the inside. Keep them partially shaded with moist, well-drained soil. They are perfect for placing beneath deciduous trees or at the front of a shady border. To keep them looking their best, snip away the old, tatty leaves in late winter so the new flowers aren't hidden.

The go-to winter bedding plants for adding a bit of cheer to your garden are winter pansies and violas. With every mild spell from autumn to spring, you’ll be treated with flowers and they will bounce back quickly after a frost.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to colours too, everything from soft lemons and creams to rich purples and orange. Did we mention that they are also the perfect winter flowers for pots, window boxes and doorstep displays. To keep the blooms coming, make sure to deadhead regularly and place  them in the sunniest spot you can.

I need a tough plant that produces jewel-like pink, magenta or white flowers I hear you say. Then look no further than the cyclamen coum. They’ll produce flowers for you from January, often pushing up through frost and snow. In autumn you’ll have their rounded, marbled leaves to look at too, which are also attractive.

Plant the corms in autumn in well-drained soil beneath shrubs or trees, where they'll slowly spread into a carpet of colour. They also work beautifully in shallow terracotta pots on a sheltered doorstep.

Winter heathers are some of the hardiest winter plants you can grow, flowering from December through to April in shades of pink, purple and white. Unlike summer heathers, Erica carnea will happily tolerate neutral and even slightly alkaline soils.

Plant them in groups for a sweep of colour, or use them as low-growing, evergreen winter plants for pots. Bees will thank you on the odd mild winter day too, as they're one of the few nectar sources around.

Looking to add structure and scent to your garden? Then mahonia is one of the best winter flowering shrubs you can choose. Varieties such as 'Charity' and 'Winter Sun' produce long sprays of bright yellow, lily-of-the-valley-scented flowers from November into February.

Mahonia can live with a bit of shade and even poorer soils, making it a great choice for those awkward corners where little else will thrive. The flowers are followed by blue-black berries that the birds will love too.

Never judge a plant at first glance, sarcococca may not look like much in Autumn, but come January and February its tiny white flowers release a sweet fragrance that carries right across the garden. Plant it somewhere with passing traffic to make the most of that scent.

The great thing about them is that they need almost no maintenance, they’re compact, evergreen, and thrive in shade and dry soil beneath trees. What’s not to love?

Want one of the most reliable winter flowering plants? Then Viburnum is what you need. From November to March they’ll  produce clusters of fragrant, pale pink flowers on bare stems. Did we mention they smell great too?

They are big, so give it the space it requires, somewhere at the back of a border will work nicely.

If bright yellow, star-shaped flowers appearing along arching green stems fills you with joy, then a winter jasmine is for you. It doesn't carry a scent like its summer cousin, but it more than makes up for it with sheer flower power.

Train it against a wall or fence, or let it tumble over a bank or low wall. It's extremely hardy and will cope with north-facing positions where many other climbers struggle. Prune it straight after flowering to keep it tidy.

Skimmia is a compact evergreen that’s perfect for containers. Varieties like 'Rubella' have deep red flower buds from autumn that will open into fragrant white flowers in early spring, while female plants produce long-lasting red berries.

They don’t mind a bit of shade and are slow-growing, they’re also one of the best winter plants for hanging baskets and patio pots, especially when teamed with trailing ivy and a few violas.

You can’t have a winter garden without snowdrops. 

For best results plant them 'in the green' (just after flowering) rather than as dry bulbs, leave them undisturbed in grass, under trees or along the edge of a border so they can spread into generous drifts over the years.

Do this and you’ll enjoy their nodding white bells in January and February.

No more bare gardens between November and February please. 

By mixing a few winter flowering shrubs for structure and scent with cheerful winter bedding plants in pots and baskets,you'll have colour, fragrance and life right through the coldest months of the year.

And when the first of the snowdrops open, you'll know spring is well on its way.