August 11, 2025

There’s nothing quite like watching soft snow fall from the warmth of your living room. The windows fog slightly, your favorite blanket is wrapped around your shoulders, and everything outside looks quiet and still. But then, your eyes settle on the yard, and it’s not exactly a winter wonderland. It’s more like a barren, gray patch of land just waiting for spring to save it.

It doesn’t have to be this way. With a bit of planning and a few design tweaks, your outdoor space can become a place of year-round beauty, even in the depths of winter. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the view from indoors or you want to bundle up and spend time outside around a fire, there are plenty of ways to bring warmth, texture, and charm to your landscape. And the best part? Summer is the perfect time to start prepping.

Closeup of a senior couple sitting on the edge of their outdoor brick fireplace, enjoying the fire on a cold winter day.

A View Worth Looking At—Even in Winter

During the warmer months, your yard is likely filled with color, movement, and life. But come winter, everything tends to fade: flowers disappear, grass goes dormant, and leaves drop from trees, leaving a landscape that’s often more bleak than beautiful.

The thing is, you don’t stop looking at your yard in the winter. If anything, you see it more every time you glance out the window while making coffee, working from home, or relaxing on the couch. That view becomes part of your daily backdrop, and with a few wise choices, it can be just as enjoyable in January as it is in July.

Designing for Winter Interest Starts in Summer

The key to enjoying your landscape year-round is planning ahead. Summer is a great time to plant cold-hardy species that provide color, structure, and texture during the colder months. Whether it’s evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses, or trees with interesting bark and branching patterns, the right mix can give your yard dimension and depth, even under a layer of snow.

Here are a few cold-hardy plants to consider adding this summer that will shine during winter:

  • Winterberry (Ilex verticillata): This deciduous holly loses its leaves but keeps its vibrant red berries all winter, adding a striking pop of color.
  • Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea): Known for its bright red branches that glow against a snowy backdrop, this shrub is both eye-catching and low maintenance.
  • Boxwood (Buxus): A classic evergreen shrub that holds its shape and color all year, perfect for borders or foundation planting.
  • Ornamental Grasses (like Karl Foerster or Little Bluestem): These grasses keep their form in winter, swaying gently in the wind and catching light frost for a magical effect.
  • Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum): With its cinnamon-colored peeling bark, this small tree adds visual texture that stands out in the winter landscape.

The trick is mixing in plants that offer more than just seasonal blooms—look for color, form, and contrast that still hold visual weight after the flowers are long gone.

Let There Be (Landscape) Light

One of the easiest and most dramatic ways to make your outdoor space shine in winter is through lighting. As the days get shorter, good lighting becomes more than just functional—it sets the mood, enhances safety, and transforms your yard into a cozy, glowing retreat.

Well-placed lighting can highlight the shapes of bare trees, cast beautiful shadows on the snow, and draw attention to focal points like sculptures, fountains, or interesting architecture. Uplighting a tree, adding path lights along a snowy walkway, or stringing warm-toned bulbs over a patio can make a big impact.

And don’t underestimate the joy of landscape lighting during the holiday season. With a professionally designed lighting system, you can enjoy features that work beautifully year-round, and then dial up the festive feel with ease when winter arrives.

Add Warmth with Outdoor Features

Winter doesn’t mean you have to stay inside. With the proper setup, your outdoor space can be just as inviting when it’s cold out. Fire features can create a stunning centerpiece while providing the literal warmth needed to enjoy your patio even when the temperatures drop.

Think beyond the traditional fire pit. Gas-powered fire tables, built-in stone fireplaces, or modern fire bowls add both style and function. Pair these with comfortable seating, outdoor rugs, and blankets, and you’ve got an outdoor living room that you can enjoy year-round.

While you’re at it, consider other cold-weather additions like a covered pergola with heating elements, wind-blocking screens, or even an all-weather hot tub area. Creating a four-season outdoor space not only enhances your enjoyment but also adds significant value to your home.

Container Gardening Isn’t Just for Summer

Potted plants aren’t only for patios and porches in the warm months. Containers can be a fantastic way to add structure and interest to your landscape in the winter, especially near entryways or along walkways.

Use cold-hardy evergreens, colorful stems, or even arrangements of pinecones, dried branches, and winter berries to create a visual impact. And since containers are movable, they’re an easy way to change things up and refresh your outdoor décor as the seasons evolve.

Don’t Go It Alone—Bring in a Professional

It’s easy to underestimate the amount of thought and planning that goes into creating an outdoor space that looks beautiful throughout all four seasons. What looks good in July might disappear by November, and some plants that thrive in summer won’t last the first frost. That’s why working with a professional landscape team makes such a big difference.

Landscape professionals bring more than just planting knowledge—they think in terms of design, balance, and year-round performance. They know how to layer textures, create focal points, and select the right plant combinations to keep things interesting through every season. Plus, they’ll make sure your lighting, irrigation, and hardscape features work together in a way that’s both beautiful and functional.

Most importantly, they’ll help you turn your ideas into something tangible; something you’ll enjoy looking at (and spending time in) even when it’s freezing outside.

Now’s the Time to Start Planning

Winter landscapes don’t build themselves overnight. The best designs begin months in advance, with the right plants, features, and team to bring it all together. By starting your planning and planting now, you set the stage for a yard that looks beautiful every month of the year, not just when the flowers are in bloom.

And whether you’re dreaming of glowing lights through the snow, firelit winter evenings, or a backyard view that doesn’t make you long for spring, it’s all within reach.

Create a Winter View You’ll Love With Twin Oaks Landscape

You don’t have to settle for a dull, lifeless yard once the temperature drops. At Twin Oaks Landscape, we specialize in designing and maintaining outdoor spaces that shine in every season, especially winter. From winter-hardy plantings to professional landscape lighting, fire features, and custom design, we’ll help you create an outdoor space that’s as inviting in January as it is in June.

Start planning your year-round landscape today! Contact Twin Oaks Landscape to schedule a consultation and bring your winter views to life.