Hardy Plants that Thrive in Cold Weather

It’s easy to fill a garden with an assortment of heat-loving plants — the tomatoes, peppers, the sunflowers — that will soak up the summer sun and thrive, but if you live in a colder climate, those hot summer days are limited and bookended by periods of cold weather.

Put those colder months to good use by focusing on plants that thrive in cold weather.

Carrots

Yes, carrots are a little finicky and aren’t the easiest to grow, and yes, they germinate slowly and require infinite patience. However, carrots thrive in low temps and are one of the plants that most appreciate cooler weather.

You can plant carrot seeds in early spring even before your last frost date has passed, and at the end of the season, your mature carrots can stay in the garden soil even after frosts and light freezes — just harvest whenever you’re ready to use them. The low temps will only improve the flavor of your carrots.

Pansies

If you’re looking for a hardy flower that laughs in the face of winter weather, pansies are for you. Pansies are quite cold-hardy and can continue to thrive when temperatures dip into the 20s. You can even grow varieties called ice pansies or winter pansies (Viola hiemalis) that are said to be even hardier than regular pansies (Viola × wittrockiana).

Peas

Peas dislike hot weather, so they breathe a sigh of relief when the calendar inches toward autumn and cooler weather arrives. They can withstand light frosts and occasionally survive temps in the 20s. Use this to your advantage by planting peas early in the spring (even before your last frost date).

Plant them as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring and again in late summer so you can reap an autumn harvest as well. Peas are hardy and dependable and perfect for the cold-climate gardener.

Garlic

The ideal time to plant garlic will depend on your location, but late fall is generally ideal for planting hardneck varieties of garlic. This hardy type of garlic will sit dormant until spring and then begin sprouting as soon as the earth begins to warm — or even before. It’s not unusual to find the earliest bits of green garlic popping up through the snow.

Daffodils

About the time you see your garlic making its presence known, check on your daffodils because they’re likely doing the same thing. Daffodils aren’t bothered by cold weather and will happily grow and thrive despite low temps in the early spring.

If you like the idea of cheerful yellow blooms in your springtime garden, plant some daffodil bulbs in the fall and prepare for the bright delight they’ll bring in the spring.

Kale

Not only is kale hardy and happy in cooler weather, but the flavor also actually improves in autumn after the temps drop below freezing. Take advantage of the opportunity to utilize the cold weather and put in a late crop of kale to harvest in early winter. You can also plant other cold-hardy brassica family members for late fall harvests, including broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.

Spinach

Here’s another nutritious, cold-hardy vegetable! Spinach is perfectly happy in lower temperatures (even into the teens,) although it is slow to germinate in cold weather. But once it’s growing, low temps will sweeten the flavor of your spinach.

Try not to inadvertently limit yourself in the garden by focusing on heat-loving veggies during the growing season. Gardeners in cold climates can really expand and extend their harvests by choosing plants that love cold weather and incorporating those into their spring and fall gardens.

… And just wait until you begin tasting the enhanced flavor of your carrots, kale and spinach. Enjoy!