Winter Interest in your Landscape

 

Winters in our northeastern climate can be long and tedious- but there’s no reason why you can’t still enjoy your landscape. Many plants add beauty and interest to the winter landscape, either with attractive bark, seed heads, or a structure that captures snow in a beautiful way. Here are some choices to consider when designing your landscape for interest year-round:

Ornamental Grasses - Resist the urge to cut down those dead ornamental grasses in the fall- they look lovely decorated with snow, and their seed heads help to feed overwintering birds.

Plants with Ornamental Bark - Plants with colorful or textural bark can be a winter focal point in your landscape. Red Twig Dogwood and Virginia Sweetspire have beautiful red-to maroon bark that looks striking against the snow. River Birch and Oakleaf Hydrangea’s peeling bark adds texture and interest to your winter garden, and are even more striking with a spotlight or uplighting to show off their structure at night.

 

Berries - Plants with berries that persist are irresistible in the winter garden. Hollies come in many shapes and sizes. Plant both male and female plants to be rewarded with bunches of bright red berries which will last through the season. A few species are deciduous, so drop their leaves to reveal a dramatic show of berries on bare branches. The electric purple berries of Beautyberry persist well into winter and live up to their name with a dusting of snow.

Needled Evergreens - What captures a winter scene better than a stand of evergreen trees laden with snow? Pines, spruces, firs, and hemlocks come in a wide variety of shapes and forms, from dwarf, shrubby plants to full-size trees. Needled evergreens are the mainstay of the winter landscape, rewarding us with color and texture all year long.