Tips for Landscaping a Winter Garden

Your garden is more than a place to relax in the spring and summer. It is with you all year long, and it deserves to be dressed up and enjoyed all year long. Those who live in the warm southern areas can have the same plants all year long, but those of us in the chilly north need to plant a variety of plants to make sure we have a garden that has color all year long. Be sure that the plants you choose are hardy in the zone you live in. There is a big difference from the north of Maine to the south of New York, even though both places, and everywhere in between, need to plan a winter garden.

The plants you choose will depend on the size of your garden, but one of the best landscaping ideas is to plant pine trees on the sides of the house that get hit most by the wind. Not only will they be a windbreak, but you will have Christmas trees already for your outdoor decorations.

For the rest of the garden, pick plants that flower in the winter and there are more of them than you might think. Each section of your garden should have plants that bloom in every season. Be mindful that plants that are perfect for a winter garden, in most cases, will be green all year long, so make sure they are planted where they will not obscure the plants from the other season. A good idea is to plant one near each of the features like a pond or bird bath. Holly goes very well around the bird bath for instance, because the birds love the berries.

Some plants that you might consider for a winter garden landscape are:

Red Twig Dogwood or Cornus sericea. This one loses its leaves in the fall, but its life is far from over. Once the leaves are gone, the bright red stems become the focus of attention. It grows in zones 2 through 8, so it can be used in a good part of the country. This one grows big, as high as 10 feet, so it is best planted on the side of a house on in the back of the garden. Ten foot tall red sticks make a great background for the rest of your winter garden.

Black Chokeberry – Aronia melanocarpa

This one is a great plant. Not only does it grow in zones 4-9, but it can take shade or sun, dry or moist soils. The berries will last from fall all the way through January. This is a shrub that will grow from 3 to 6 inches in height, so it would be put in the front of other plants, as long as the spring growing plants behind it grow to over 6 inches, like gladiolas and tulips for instance.

The list could go on and on, there is so much to choose from. Take a day and go to your local garden center and see what they have to offer. Remember, the full grown size of the plants is of the utmost importance. Make your garden a year round masterpiece of landscaping. You will enjoy it more and the birds will be forever grateful for the berries