The Winter landscaping around your home, or even several feet from your home, will help to minimize the cold drafts or harsh winds that are usually part of a winter storm. While this is a big plus for a homeowner, additional benefits of winter landscapes is the beauty of the colors. Most people design and build their landscape for Spring, Summer and Fall but they forget about the winter landscape. The landscape goes from spectacular to 3 or 4 months of basically nothing.
Plant a Tree
Berry trees have deep red or even orange berries that feed the winter birds and other animals. Of course the majority of the berry trees produce during the winter which is why they are included on the list. Anything tree that is in the hawthorne family, like. holly trees, would be a berry tree. Yet another tree that stays vibrant during the Winter months from early to late autumn, is an apple tree.
Oramental Grass
Ornamental grasses are excellent for the winter garden, there is a huge variety to choose from. Here are a few that have good winter interest Purple Silver Grass, Little Kitten Maiden Grass and Cabaret Japanese Silver Grass.
Install a Water Feature
Unfortunately, water fountains have to be de-activated in the Winter, so installing an in-ground water feature will give interest thougout the whole year. Whether it is filled with water or maybe it is has a dry creek bed, a water feature will add interest to your landscaping garden in the winter and year round as well. Goldfish will hibernate through the winter if given a depth of three feet to sustain them during the freezing time. It can also be a great time to think about a lawn irrigation system.
Structures:
Arbors, Gazebos, Pergolas, Benches, Bridges, Statues and Birdbaths are great for adding visual interest to the winter landscape. A large rock or boulder as well as a rock garden are also good ideas to add to your landscape.
Evergreens
Traditionally the evergreens are known as pine and spruce trees. These mighty trees typically survive harsh drought conditions and then the cold winter conditions, adding deep greens to the urban areas. Another type of Evergreen (though it is largely forgotten), is Ivy. Ivy can be trained to grow where an individual wants it to flourish. The ivy provides great ground cover and green touch to a winter landscape.
Plants
Up to the 1st harsh freeze of the Winter season, an oak leaf hydrangea will usually be vibrant as part of your Winter landscape. The plant is not blooming any longer during the winter season; however, the stalks of the oak leaf hydrangea start to look like that of the paper bark from a maple tree giving the winter landscape a different look.
Planting Vegetables
Yes planting vegetables during the early parts of the winter months is possible outside and inside. The optimum time of the year to plant Cauliflower and Broccoli is just before the first frost or freeze of the season. This will allow Mother Nature to do her thing in nurturing the seeds for a good crop in early spring.
