Winter interest
A S
7 years ago
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A S
7 years ago
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Grasses for fall and winter interest
Comments (2)There are LOTS of choices out there for tall billowy grasses. Local climate will have a lot to do with which ones will provide you with the best winter showing. I will be interested to hear what other posters in your area recommend. Some of it has to do with the structure of the grass. Molinias & Spodiopogon are 'almost designed' to fall over with the addition snow. Some of the native grasses must be grown on lean/poor soil to be able to stand up to wet &/or snowy weather. (sunny exposure is a big factor as well) I have gardened with grasses in zone 5 SW Ontario where we have 'on again, off again' winters with a mix of heavy snowfalls & freezing rain. Now I garden in a more northerly area with huge amounts of snow & that, always challenging, early snowfall that is wet & heavy. What works the best for me? #1 Calamagrostis arundinacea Karl Foerster - or any of the other cultivars are real troopers in all seasons #2 Some Miscanthus sinensis cultivars. For winter durability & waving plumes, Miscanthus sinensis 'Roland' out performs all the others for me. This is surprising since it is a bit of a floppy grass until the culms dry off. Not as much on the billowing but excellent winter interest: #3 & #4 Panicum virgatum cultivars & Schizachirium sp. (little blue stem) provide fabulous winter interest. A....See MoreShrubs for Autumn and Winter Interest
Comments (0)Image by: Ian NartowiczSymphoricarpus alba (Snowberry)Autumn Interest At the end of the summer when the annuals have lost their lustre and most flowering shrubs and perennials have given up, the garden can still put on a good show. There are some plants that will flower well into autumn, some that will already have a showy fruit crop, and some that will dazzle with the colour of its dying foliage. Much depends on climate. In warmer areas it is easy to find shrubs that will flower into November or later, but it is less easy to get stunning red foliage in warm zones. Winter Interest When the days are short and snow is on the ground, a few shrubs still offer a bit of colour in the garden. Bright red berries are the obvious choice for colour in winter, but there are fruit in other colours, attractive variegated evergreens, and even the occasional flowering shrub. Again, different climates force us to look at different shrubs for winter interest. In really cold winters, flowers are impossible and foliage is restricted to needles. In warmer areas, attractive foliage may be lost in a mass of green and berries may be hidden by leaves. Shrubs to Consider Here is a list of some shrubs that you might want to consider for autumn and/or winter interest. I have tried to include shrubs with interesting flowers, foliage, berries, or stems, and to include some for very cold zones. Latin name Common Name Attractive features USDA zones Aronia sp. Chokeberry Reliable bright autumn colours. 4-9 Callicarpa sp. Beautyberry Stunning berries in various purple and violet colours in autumn and early winter. 6-11 Camellia sp. Camellia White, pink, or red flowers in autumn, early winter, or late winter, depedning on the variety. Flowers in winter in warmer zones and autumn or spring in colder areas. 6-11 Chimonanthus praecox Fragrant Wintersweet Yellow/purple flowers any time during winter depending on the weather. 6?-10 Clethra barbinervis Japanese Clethra Exfoliating bark visible throughout the winter. 5-8 Cornus mas Cornelian Cherry Dogwood Dull yellow flowers in late winter and early spring, a little like a native Forsythia. Some autumn colour. 4-8 Cornus sp. Dogwood Bare red or yellow stems during winter on several species and varieties. Berries on some varieties. 3-8 Corylis avellana 'Contorta' Corkscrew Hazel Bizarre twisted stems visible during the winter. Catkins in late winter. 4-9 Disanthus cercidifolius Disanthus Bright red autumn leaves. 6-10 Enkianthus sp. Enkianthus Very good autumn colour in some plants, not so good in others. 6-9 Erica carnea Heath White, pink, or red flowers during winter 4-9 Euonymus alata Burning Bush Brilliant red foliage in autumn, but invasive in some areas. 4-9 Fothergilla gardenii Dwarf Fothergilla Autumn colours from orange to purple, but variable so pick a good individual plant. 5-10 Garrya elliptica Silk Tassel Long catkins in mid-winter. 8-10 Hamamelis x. intermedia Witch Hazel Red or yellow flowers in winter. Brilliant autumn foliage on some varieties. 5-9 Hebe 'Red Edge' Red Edge Hebe Evergreen blue-green foliage with maroon edges and tips, especially in winter. 8-10 Hydrangea quercifolia Oakleaf Hydrangea Good colour into late autumn and attractive peeling bark on coloured stems. 5-9 Ilex aquifolium English Holly Persistent red berries, evergreen, some varieties have variegated foliage. 7-9 Ilex glabra Inkberry Small black berries all winter, some varieties have white berries. Evergreen foliage. 5-9 Ilex verticillata Winterberry Persistent red berries on this deciduous holly. 3-8 Ilex x meserveae Blue Holly Spiny bluish evergreen foliage and many red berries. 5-9 Itea virginica Virginia Sweetspire Mixed autumn colours from yellow to crimson. 6-10 Jasminum nudiflorum Winter Jasmine Yellow flowers on bare green stems November - March. 6-10 Lonicera fragrantissima Winter Honeysuckle Highly fragrant but not showy flowers in late winter. 4-9 Lonicera x purpusii 'Winter Beauty' Winter Honeysuckle Highly fragrant white/yellow flowers in winter. 5-9 Mahonia x media Holly Grape Long yellow flower racemes in mid-winter. Distinctive spiny evergreen foliage. 7-9 Nandina domestica Heavenly Bamboo Brilliant red foliage all winter. May also have berries, usually red but yellow or white on some varieties. 6-9 Osmanthus Tea Olive or False Holly Flowers in late autumn. Attractive evergreen leaves like English Holly, variegated in some cultivars. 7-9 Photinia villosa Oriental Photinia Showy autumn foliage. 4-9 Pieris japonica Japanese Pieris Coloured flowers bud throughout the winter. Shaped evergreen foliage. 5-10 Pyracantha coccinea Firethorn Yellow, orange, or red berries until spring. Semi-evergreen. 5-9 Rubus cockburnianus White-stemmed bramble White stems all winter. 6-8 Sarcococca sp. Sweetbox White flowers against dark green foliage in mid-winter. Some species only hardy to zone 8. 6-10 Stephanandra tanakae ? Orange and red autumn colours. 5-9 Symphoricarpus alba Snowberry White berries in autumn 2-8 Vaccinium sp. Blueberry Red autumn foliage and red winter stems. Berries are a summer feature. 2-9 Viburnum farreri Fragrant Virburnum Fragrant white flowers in early and late winter. 5-9 Viburnum lentago Nannyberry Berries in various shades eventually bluish-black by late autumn. 2-8 Viburnum tinus Laurestinus Viburnum White flowers and strongly coloured berries all through winter. 8-11 Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' Dawn Viburnum Masses of pale pink flowers in winter. 6-10...See MoreCreative Ways To Add Winter Interest To The Garden
Comments (0)Looking for some creative ways to add winter interest to the garden ? If the cold, bleak days of winter leave you singing the blues and missing your garden, dry your tears! We have some great ways for you to create winter interest in your garden that will have you loving your garden in the winter just as much as you do in summer...well almost. Evergreen trees and shrubs can often be the backbone of your garden. Evergreens are a given of course, but think of shrubs that have an interesting silhouette. Take a look at the interesting contorted branches of a Harry Lauder's Walking Stick. Winter interest can go beyond plant life. Inanimate objects such as a trellis, arbor or even a bench can add character on the winter. Morning frost glittering on the wrought iron scrolls of a garden bench makes for a beautiful winter scene. Bird baths, bird houses and bird feeders can be pretty in their own right, but by attracting birds, you but only benefit wildlife, but you can benefit from the entertainment they can provide. So, go outside and take a look at your garden and see where you can add a little winter interest!...See MorePlants of winter interest, please
Comments (3)For berries, I have a spreading cotoneaster by the walkway but with a lot of snow it is mostly covered and berries aren't visible. One year I saw a family of bluebirds eating the berries. Other years it has been a brazen chipmunk. We have two crabapples in different parts of the yard which I chose for very small fruit. One is a weeping crab and the other has dark leaves. At one time I had a viburnum next to the house by the walkway but it kept growing too tall. I had my husband move it and replaced it with a halo dogwood, later decided green leaves with white edges was not a good choice next to a white house. What I don't like is that it doesn't provide places for birds to perch while they wait a turn at the thistle feeders and suet feeder that hand from two garden hooks that get moved from the walkway to prime birdwatching spots in front of our windows. To keep the birds happy, my husband cuts a scraggly pine and sticks it into the ground between the two feeders. Christmas interest this year is the big plastic pot next to the front porch steps which now holds pine and hemlock branches plus a trio of red twinkly light branches and brand new lighted plastic candy canes (Ocean State Job Lots). At night the lights are red. From north windows we can see a wild winterberry bush at the edge of the woods. I've read that birds don't eat those berries until closer to spring. Right now we have juncos at the thistle and suet feeders which surprises us since we have always thought they were ground feeders. Birds are taking shelter in a large rhodie planted against the barn....See More
Sara Malone Zone 9b
7 years ago
Logan L Johnson
7 years agoLogan L Johnson
7 years agoA S
7 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoA S
7 years agoSara Malone Zone 9b
7 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years agoA S
7 years agoA S
7 years agoSara Malone Zone 9b
7 years agoLogan L Johnson
7 years agoA S
7 years agoSara, it's a newly planted Tupelo, so it's not big and fluffy. I'm not sure how fast this one grows or how fluffy I expect it to be this Spring.
Logan L Johnson
7 years agoA S
7 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years agoA S
7 years agoA S
7 years agoLogan L Johnson
7 years agoSara Malone Zone 9b
7 years agoDave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoA S
7 years agoLogan L Johnson
7 years agoA S
7 years ago
PROForm and Foliage
7 years agoA S
7 years agoSara Malone Zone 9b
7 years agoSara Malone Zone 9b
7 years agoHere is 'Jester' in winter in my garden, backed by a Cupressus nootkatensis 'Green Arrow' and a yellow Chamaecyparis. Sometimes it is a bit pinker than this, but always this deeply colored.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years agoA S
7 years agoLogan L Johnson
7 years agoA S
7 years agoA S
7 years agoSara Malone Zone 9b
7 years ago
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Sara Malone Zone 9b