Try lots of polyanthus and cyclamen. For reliable colourful foliage, try
lots of the evergreen euonymus. There is one called 'Emerald Gaeity' .. I
think this is the one that takes on reddish tints over winter. Some
Bergenias have red/purple leaves in winter (followed by spring flowers). In
my garden, purple-leaved Heucheras take on a red glow and are good doers
despite the weather.
Interplant with small early-flowering bulbs (snowdrops, crocus, species
tulips) to give you something to look forward to.
Hope this helps.
Spider
Michael Berridge wrote in message
...

jane wrote in message ...

Also winter pansies and violas*. I've got waiting in the wings pots of
crocus, miniature iris (yellow, purple and blue), snowdrops, miniature
daffs (some layered with the earlier bulbs), all the way to large
narcissi
and tulips come April. I've overplanted the larger tubs with winter
flowering violas, of a variety of colours. I have also planted up my
pots
of hyacinths - I get a new bag each year and add them to the previous
years' lot, so by now I have a *lot* of them. Again all potted so I can
move them to where the colour is needed. I tend to bury them for the
flowering then shift them to the back of the border to wait out the
summer
and not have untidy foliage everywhere. So I've got a fairly good
succession from now to May, when things start to take off.

I've used pansies and violas this year, along with primulas, and have a
wonderful show now. I hope they will last all winter.

Mike
www.british-naturism.org.uk