These Peaceful Gardens Show the Beauty in Winter Bareness
Frosty garden vignettes glitter with snow-dusted branches, delicate seed heads and stately evergreens
Winter gardens urge us to look a little closer to find interest in form, color and texture. Whether it’s the glittering effect of ornamental grasses covered in frost or the subtle color variation among the bare branches of deciduous trees, there’s plenty to appreciate in the winter landscape.
Take a look at vignettes from eight serene winter gardens from Seattle to London that make use of a combination of ornamental grasses, perennial seed heads left on the plants, evergreen shrubs and hardscape elements to create beauty in winter bareness.
Take a look at vignettes from eight serene winter gardens from Seattle to London that make use of a combination of ornamental grasses, perennial seed heads left on the plants, evergreen shrubs and hardscape elements to create beauty in winter bareness.
1. Subtle colors in Glencoe, Illinois. In this landscape near the shore of Lake Michigan, snow blankets the ground, dusts the garden walls and clings to the blades of grasses and the branches of the conifers in the background. Leaving the dried grasses be — instead of cutting them back in fall — brings a golden warmth to the scene that picks up the hue of the tree’s crinkled brown leaves and the stone’s yellow tones.
The landscape architects who designed the garden used ornamental grasses throughout the property, in combination with shrubs and perennials. Here, the dried grasses form drifts of pale gold that stand out among evergreen shrubs and the dark trunks of the trees beyond.
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2. Frosty scenes from Seattle. This frost-tipped wonderland shows how, with the right attention to form and texture, gardens can be as beautiful in winter — or even more so — as in other times of the year. The gateway anchors this backyard design, providing structure and establishing a threshold to the icy, dream-like landscape.
Browse garden arbors in the Houzz Shop
Browse garden arbors in the Houzz Shop
In the same garden, a dusting of frost highlights the textures of the pom-pom-like seed heads of black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta), the deliciously peeling bark of a paperbark maple (Acer griseum) and the smooth-shingled surface of the shed roof.
3. Winter vignette in East Vincent Township, Pennsylvania. As part of the trial garden around his studio, landscape designer Donald Pell put together a planting vignette for four-season interest. Even in winter, the composition has elements for form (a sturdy, stacked stone cairn), color (the tawny stalks of two types of Miscanthus grass) and texture (rough stones, delicate grasses and small perennial seed heads poking up through the snow).
In another Philadelphia-area garden by the same designer, ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) cloaked in ice takes on a beautiful, almost eerie appearance. While ‘Karl Foerster’ is usually an upright ornamental grass, winter wind and snow can change the form of the dried stalks, bending them over before covering them with ice.
4. Delicate details in Nebraska. Even on a small scale, planting vignettes from winter gardens can be stunningly beautiful. In this Midwestern garden, the dried seed heads of Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum), a North American native perennial, were left on the plant after the seeds were released. Covered in frost, the empty seed heads look like lace against a dark evergreen backdrop, providing yet another reason to leave perennials unclipped over winter.
5. Repetition of form in London. In this formal composition behind a London home, carefully clipped hedges and espaliered trees divide one area of the garden from the next. A dusting of snow blankets the scene in white, covering the green of the hedges and the grass and browns of the twiggy balls and wooden trellis. By taking away the variation in color, the geometric forms of the hedges, twig spheres and trellis can be all the more appreciated.
6. Snow globes in London. In a second example from England, a small front yard planting celebrates spherical forms through the repetition of globe-shaped boxwoods. The design feels at once formal (through highly maintained pruning) and playful — the boxwoods look a bit like green gumdrops rolled in sugar.
7. Moss and lichen in the Pacific Northwest. For mild-climate gardens, there’s still plenty of winter beauty to be found in garden details. Rain and cooler temperatures spur the growth of lichens and fuzzy mosses, adding interest to fences, posts, stones and sheds.
8. Dramatic hardscape in Denver. While plants play major roles in the interest of a garden in any season, hardscape and sculptural elements can help add more emphasis to the design. For example, in this scene from the Denver Botanic Garden, dried lion’s ear (Leonotis sp.) stems and seed are given more presence in this wintery scene by the backdrop of five metal panels that echo the dark bronze color of the stalks.
Your turn: Post a picture of your own wintry landscape in the Comments!
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More on Houzz
How to Enjoy Your Garden More This Holiday Season
Look Beyond Plants for a Wonderful Winter Garden
Find a pro for your landscaping project
Shop for outdoor products
