Many folks in the northern regions like Edmonton often forget about winter interest shrubs in their landscaping plans.
Plants enter a period of rest, bright fall foliage dissipates, and then the snow flies, leaving a bleak landscape full or whites and greys. However, it does not have to be this way. This is where establishing a landscape plan becomes crucial. A well constructed plan will allow you to appreciate the beauty of your landscape year round, with each season providing its very own accents. If your yard has the winter blues, a little attention in these areas can add plenty of excitement and beauty come time the snow starts hitting the ground.
Evergreens
Although they may not be the shining star the rest of the year, come winter evergreens will become your landscapes best attribute. First, they provide year round colour, and not just green, they’re also available in hues of blue (blue spruce, blue chip juniper) and gold (Falsecypress/ King’s gold). They also come in many different shapes and textures, such as dwarf global cedar, hughes juniper, or ponderosa pine, providing even further contrast amongst your landscape. Here are some of the top varieties of evergreens currently available. Finally, evergreens make for great landscape design. Although they may not shine until winter, they are the perfect plants to provide focal points for the rest of your shrubs and flowers. When constructing new beds, or re-designing old ones, I always include an evergreen or two as the centerpiece. Better Homes & Gardens is a great place to get landscaping ideas for evergreens.
Include winter interest shrubs
While plants are entering dormancy, there are several shrubs that remain vibrant come winter time. Coloured twig dogwoods (Cornus) will reveal bright red, yellow, or orange stems once they’ve lost their leaves. Some great examples include Siberian dogwood and Silver variegated dogwood, which provide both great fall and winter colour. These colourful displays can also extent beyond your garden; clip a few branches as colour and textural interest for your indoor vase or outdoor planters since the cut stems can last a long time. Check of LovetoKnow for more information on dogwoods.
Hardscaping
Winter provides the unique opportunity to critically assess our yards. If you read the last two paragraphs, yet find yourself still feeling as though something is lacking, it probably isn’t a plant. It is often during the dead of winter when we find the missing focal points of our landscaping. Consider adding some hardscaping- this may be a bench, a trellis, an arbor, or large boulders. it could even be a sculpture if you enjoy the more ornate.
Enjoy the birds
Birds often become the life of the party during winter. While their movements are normally obscured by the lush growth or trees and shrubs, bare winter stems allow us to watch them
sing and dance from twig to twig. Here are a couple tips to encourage frequent visits. Leave dormant perennials including ornamental grasses and coneflowers, as well as sunflowers to stand over winter. Their seeds provide both structural interest as well as a food source to your winter visitors. Second of all, make sure to plant native plants and shrubs, as birds are familiar with plants that are naturally found
within their region. Thus you will attract greater numbers if they are present in your landscape. Finally, consider adding a bird feeder- a sure fire way to increase the number of birds year round.
Take advantage of your containers
Whether it be window boxes, hanging planters, or containers, all can become additional resources come winter landscaping. Let your creativity run wild, use evergreen boughs, coloured twigs, or even ornamental cabbages and kales to provide contrasting textures and colours to your containers.
There you have it! Your winter landscape doesn’t have to be a barren wasteland, all it takes is some planning and you’ll have a yard you can enjoy year round.
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