NATCHEZ — For many people, the winter brings the cold, frost a nip in the air and a general grey atmosphere. But not so for some in the Miss-Lou.

Enter winter gardners, citizens whose green thumbs — and their gardens — don’t lose their color just because the breeze might have a bit of a bite to it.

“A lot of people think wintertime is a time when you can’t grow anything, but there are lots of flowers and vegetables that can grow this time of year,” Adams County Extension Director David Carter said.

Natchez resident Robert Barnes said he winter gardens with gusto.

“I’ve planted Camellias,” he said. “They’re all over the garden because I try to keep things year-round.”

The only real difference between a spring and summer garden and a winter garden is the plants, Barnes said.

Along with his camellias, Roberts said he keeps some other flowers — pansies and snapdragons — around to, at least in part, combat what might otherwise be the drab winter landscape.

“That way we can have some color even in the wintertime,” he said.

Other good winter garden plants include the year-round bloomer, rhododendrons, and the hardy hibiscus, which will bloom throughout the winter and can resist some frost.

If the winter weather does start to get to him, Barnes said he doesn’t mind taking a break from the garden.

“I can always go in,” he said.

But part of the reason Barnes said he likes to keep a garden in the winter is simply dedication to his hobby.

“There’s always work to be done in the garden,” he said.