Winter in the garden does not have to be so terribly drab and dreary. There are many plants besides pansies that will give your landscape color, shape, interest and even flowers.

Camellias come immediately to mind, both sasanquas and japonicas. Between the two of them, you will have a riot of bloom from October to March, and often much later. They are evergreen, and need to be treated like azaleas. Some grow huge, but there are many that will give you a nice 4-by-4-foot shrub with little pruning. Some grow upright, and others grow wide. Be sure and do a little sleuthing before you buy some. They are sometimes a bit pricey, but will outlive you and give you years of lovely winter flowers for minimal care.

Dear old winter honeysuckle, an old time pass-a-long shrub that blooms from late December through March, will give you a wonderful yard full of winter fragrance – a true blessing when all is dreary. Witch hazel will give you a short, but sweet thrill one day while you are admiring its brilliant fall foliage and realize it also is blooming little bright yellow flowers around Thanksgiving. Of course, no Texas yard would be complete without an old Japonica, or flowering quince. They usually begin blooming in late December and bloom right through March.

It never ceases to make me smile. Crape myrtle is so beautiful in winter. Its bark and branch structure are truly outstanding in the winter landscape. Enjoy the lovely tree branches during winter.

Elm and maple are especially pretty against a blue winter sky. The lovely, and sometimes overlooked, hollies are worth their weight in gold in winter, with their bright red berries. Be sure to add winter interest with flowering shrubs and bulbs, and then take the time to enjoy them each day.