Of course we don’t do landscaping in winter! But I did get your attention, didn’t I? What I mean to say is that a good landscape design in New Hampshire should include plants for winter interest – which can be challenging. When it comes to color, you can rule out flowering – and in some cases, you can rule out foliage. There are garden little gems, however, that provide variety through the long, snowy winter months.
Evergreens. Evergreens are the obvious plant choice for winter appeal. Evergreens are classified into categories: needled evergreens and broadleaf evergreens. Evergreens never go into complete dormancy; their foliage color will sometimes change with season. Andorra Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Youngstown’) is a low-spreading groundcover type evergreen that turns a plum color in winter. Combining it with other evergreens that stay bright green, like Dwarf Alberta Spruce (picea pungens ‘Glauca’) provides a nice contrast. The foliage of some broadleaved evergreens like Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica ‘Scarlett O’Hara’) turns a rusty bronze color in winter; when spring nears in March, the flower buds turned bright green. After bloom, this Japanese Andromeda flushes out with a new growth that is a fiery red.
Deciduous Plants. No leaves, no flowers. What’s so interesting about a deciduous plant in winter? Berries and stems! The Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) is a multi-stemmed shrub that you might never notice – until winter when the bright red berries is a shocking contrast to a background of snow. Harvest Gold Crabapples (Malus x ‘Harvest Gold’) boasts yellow berry sets right through late winter. Stems on landscape plants can also provide color. Try a mass of Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’) and Yellow Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’) for a real eye catcher in winter!
Don’t forget about textures. While ornamental grasses are dormant during the winter, leaving the dead foliage provides a soft texture to accentuate your other winter interest plants.
Are you tired of looking at a barren landscape in the winter? Give Groundhog Landscaping a call now so we can design a full-season landscape for your pleasure…next winter!