March 20, 2013

We are all longing for warm weather and looking forward to seeing fresh spring growth on our plants.  Although, winter can be beautiful too!  If you dread the long winters because of the bare trees and unappealing landscaping, consider having a design that changes that at your home.

Using evergreen plants and those with distinct form and branching can help make winter around your home more interesting.  Some plants will even bloom when there is snow still on the ground!  The witchhazels and hellebores are blooming beautifully right now.

There are hundreds of available evergreens that come in colors of green, yellow, blue, rust, purple, and variegated with white or yellow.  Some of the most beautiful gardens contain mostly evergreen plants, and are interesting year round.

Some shrubs have colored bark that gives contrast in the winter, such as the red-twigged dogwoods pictured here, or the river birch we featured in yesterday’s post.  There are also several perennials that can be left standing through the winter to provide more interest.

So if you are dreading this time of year, consider updating your landscape this spring to include more evergreens, and plants with winter interest so you can enjoy them next winter!