January Birth Flowers: Carnation & Snowdrop
What is the Birth Flower of January?
January birth flowers are the beautiful carnation and snowdrop. It may be the heart of winter, but snowdrops prove the garden never truly sleeps! Carnations meanwhile are dormant in January, so you have to wait until later in the year to enjoy them in your garden. Both January birth flowers offer elegance, symbolism, and valuable inspiration for winter and early-spring garden design. Whether you’re celebrating a January birthday or planning a garden that delivers interest all year round, these blooms deserve a place in your garden.
Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) Garden Design Uses
Carnations are often thought of as traditional cut flowers, but modern garden varieties have earned their place in well-designed gardens. With excellent longevity, evergreen structure and a long flowering season, carnations offer both beauty and practicality. In the Oxfordshire area carnations typically flower from late May to August, with some varieties continuing into early September if regularly deadheaded. They are a perfect plant for bridging the gap between spring bulbs and the vibrancy of June, and being smaller a great for filling in gaps in the front of a border. Our milder southern winters allow carnations to overwinter reliably, particularly in free-draining soils. In sheltered, sunny positions, they perform exceptionally well and often look better year on year.
Best carnation varieties for gardens
Not all carnations are the same. For garden design, it’s important to choose border or perennial carnations rather than florist types.
‘Mrs Sinkins’ (Heirloom favourite)
This is one of my favourite go-to varieties for the front of a border, especially in traditional, cottage-style gardens. It has frilled, pure white flowers and a strong clove scent, so if fragrance in the garden is important to you, Mrs. Sinkins is a good choice. It’s best to use white sparingly when designing a garden so combine in mixed borders, with roses, lavender and catmint (nepeta.)
‘Doris’
There’s an abundance or choice of carnations as January birth flower but for me, ‘Doris’ has to be one of the loveliest – provided you like pink. It will flower with deep pink cerise blooms, which are clove-scented, reliably and well into the summer months in a sunny border. Unlike some of the older varieties I’ve found Dianthus Doris to be disease resistant and use in in the front of cottage-style borders where it shouts our to be noticed.
Carnation January Birth Flower
For best results carnations need full sun (at least 6 hours per day in summer.) A free draining soil is essential especially in winter, so if you have soil that is prone to waterlogging and want to grow carnations, you will need to incorporate a lot of horticultural grit and organic matter so the roots aren’t standing in water all winter. From a designer’s perspective, carnations are valued as much for their form and foliage as for their flowers. Their neat, evergreen mounds make carnations ideal for border and path edging. They provide a soft alternative to box edging in informal or wildlife-friendly gardens. For more ideas on alternatives to box hedges click here for ideas.
Carnations traditionally represent, love and devotion, admiration, resilience and endurance, making them a fitting flower for the start of a new year!
The Snowdrop Flower January
Snowdrops are the second of the January birth flowers and one of the most beloved sights in the winter garden. They faithfully appear, whatever the weather so not surprisingly they are a symbol of hope and renewal. When I’m asked what my favourite flower is, the answer is the simple, unassuming snowdrop… the first sign that spring is on its way. Their delicate, scented, white bells brighten cold borders, soften woodland edges and add understated charm to any planting scheme. For us garden designers and snowdrops are more than seasonal blooms — they are inspiration for winter and early spring garden layers.
Although most gardeners are familiar with the classic Galanthus nivalis (the common snowdrop), experts recognise around 20 wild species from Europe and the Middle East, with many hundreds of cultivars and hybrids developed by collectors.
My favourite of the January birth flowers is Galanthus elwesii (Giant Snowdrop) this beauty really packs a punch and is very popular in garden designs because it’s one of the largest of the varieties.
Where to See Snowdrops in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire and its surrounds offer some truly lovely snowdrop walks and displays each late January and February. Waterperry Gardens near Wheatley boast dozens of snowdrop varieties, often showcased with guided tours and seasonal events.
Kingston Bagpuize House & Gardens (near Abingdon) opens its woodland gardens for snowdrop strolls and a seasonal plant fair in February.
Braziers Park, Wallingford runs a family-friendly snowdrop trail and estate walk.
Many of these open gardens participate in the National Garden Scheme Snowdrop Festival and offer teas, talks and bulb sales during February.
What flowers are in January in the UK?
Snowdrops are the perfect flower to see in January gardens and they are very easy to keep snowdrops flowering year after year. Occasional lifting and dividing is key — especially when clumps become congested. The best time to do this is Immediately after flowering while the leaves are still green (known as lifting “in the green”). Choose a mild day when soil is workable (not frozen or waterlogged) and use a garden fork or spade to gently lift the whole clump, keeping soil around the roots. Carefully tease apart bulbs with your hands. You can plant single bulbs, or small clusters of 3–5 to form a new clump. Replant at the same depth they were previously growing — usually about 10–12 cm deep, spaced to form natural drifts. Dividing clusters every few years prevents overcrowding and poor flowering, encouraging fresh growth and more blooms in future seasons.
What flower represents a January birthday?
If you want to plant something in your garden as one of the January birth flowers, snowdrops are the perfect choice. Mix varieties with slightly different bloom times to extend the season things such as hellbores, aconites and early crocus will give a layered winter palette. Plant in drifts, clumps and flowing lines rather than singles for a naturalistic effect and underplant light-shade areas near trees or shrubs to maximise visual impact without crowding. They also make a thoughtful contribution to memorial or celebration planting schemes.
Designing with January birth flowers
For a well-designed garden, winter interest is just as important as summer impact. Carnations and snowdrops offer complementary qualities:
- Snowdrops provide early, naturalistic beauty and seasonal markers
- Carnations add structure, colour, and continuity through the year
In professional garden design, these flowers help bridge the gap between winter dormancy and spring growth, ensuring the garden feels alive even in the coldest months.
A garden for every season
January birth flowers remind us that beauty doesn’t wait for warm weather. With careful plant selection and thoughtful design, gardens can offer interest, meaning, and colour all year round.
At Oxford Garden Design, we believe every garden should tell a story—one that unfolds through the seasons. Whether you’re planning a new garden or enhancing an existing space, incorporating birth flowers is a fun way to help gardens shine, whatever the season!
If you’d like help designing a garden that looks good in every season, we’d love to help.
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