Bird of Paradise always look great in winter in Southern California, and this year, for some reason, especially so.

I have both the Camellia, and the Mahonia, but I get longer lasting color from bark and foliage. Acer conspicuum 'Pheonix' is a bright red. Acer circinatum "Pacific Fire is a duller, more subtle shade of red. Cornus Sanquinea 'Midwinter Fire' shades from yellow in the center to red at the tips. Several Callunas have red or bronze foliage to warm up our gray winters. If you want flowers, Winter Jasmine is a great plant to have as well.

I've got a couple favorites this time of year: hellebore augustifolia, it's chartreuse flowers peering through the mounds of fallen leaves; and grevillea victoriae, an Australian shrub that resembles a bushy olive tree sporting orange-ade bright flower clusters of honeysuckle-like blooms.

Ooh, I love that hellebore. Don't know that Grevillea but it sounds lovely. Send us a photo. Or post it on your blog.