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Winter Interest in the Garden
Perk up! The winter landscape has rewards of its own
Gardens in the winter are boring and dull, right? Not necessarily. There may not be a lot of colorful flowers blooming this time of year, but with a little planning and some fun design, the winter garden can be just as interesting and lovely to view as it is during the rest of the year. Let's take a little tour and see what features work well in the winter garden.
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Plants with large seed heads add their unique look to a frosty landscape. Even a mild dusting of snow has a way of making everything look magical in the winter garden.
| Spend even more time in the great outdoors with a cozy, outdoor fireplace. With one of these to fire up on blustery days, you may be sorry to see winter's passing. |
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| Mother Nature has a way of helping us with our winter landscaping. Sometimes she provides us with lush white carpeting and cushy seating for our favorite garden bench. And you were thinking it was just snow! |
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Consider adding a gas or electric lantern to a walkway. Its warm glow will make those winter days a lot less gloomy. Plus, they are fun to decorate for the holidays.
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| When designing the winter garden, start your plan early with trees and shrubs that will reward you in autumn with rich color. Some trees to consider for vibrant fall color include: Ginkgo, Birch, and Poplar for a bright yellow display, Sugar Maples, Red Maples and Scarlet Oaks for brilliant reds, and Silver Maples and Sugar maples for bright oranges. Crape Myrtles are also wonderful for their fall interest. |
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| Even that huge oak tree you've seen a million times look very different silhouetted against the winter sky. |
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| Winter gardens are special in their own quiet way. They speak of peace and serenity and a time for slowing down and recharging for new beginnings in spring. |
| The easiest way to keep some color in the winter garden is by incorporating plenty of evergreens into the landscape. Even a rooftop garden with a mix of evergreens will feel inviting on a winter day. |
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Berries are another wonderful feature in the winter garden. Many are perfect for bringing inside for decorating during the holidays. When choosing shrubs for their colorful winter berries, consider Holly for red berries, Beautyberry for purple or white berries and Pyracantha for orange and red berries.
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If you have the space, add an arbor. It will be a lovely place to sit and rest during your winter outings and will look especially nice covered with a gnarly old vine like wisteria.
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A pergola is another structure you'll enjoy on a walk through a winter garden. Its shape and style stand out when flowers and foliage are no longer the stars.
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Blooms may be scarce in winter, but you'll always have color in a garden sporting an old-fashioned bottle tree. And you won't have to worry about "haints" hanging out in your winter garden...they'll all be inside the bottles.
| Statuary or garden sculpture always adds interest and whimsy any time of the year.
What do you love about your winter garden? |
Ideabook updated on Nov. 17, 2012.
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Irluan...beautiful picture. Is that a Japanese maple? Gorgeous!