Three Ways to Love Your Garden Before Spring Arrives
Once the holidays end in December, it seems that January and February can dwell on as we yearn for spring to arrive. To add a bright light to these short, dark days, I made a list of three ways to love your garden through the winter months.
Photo courtesy of The Enchanted Home
1. CREATE A WINTER VIGNETTE
Create a lovely space outside that can be viewed from a cozy place inside. This outdoor space can be a patio (like the image above), a simple bench or even a display of garden art. Use this area in the warmer months, but in winter allow it to serve as a view from the warmth of your house. Place this outdoor vignette where you can enjoy it through a picture window or french doors. If planned right, maybe it even feels like an extension of your indoor nook.
2. USE PLANTS TO REINFORCE YOUR VIGNETTE
Use plants to strengthen the structure of your outdoor vignette, plus provide winter interest. Evergreens, berry-laden trees and shrubs, plus perennials, such as grasses, that stand tall and beautiful even when fighting the cold winds...add character to a cool landscape. I used the Monrovia Online Plant Catalog to search for plants with these keywords: winter blooming, evergreen and zone 5. Below are some fun plants I found to add spark to my garden in the cooler months. Try a search for your area too.
Photos courtesy of Monrovia Nursery: 1. Cornus mas 'golden glory' | 2. Tsuga canadensis 'MonKinn' | 3. Helleborus x ballardiae 'HGC Cinnamon Snow' | 4. Helleborus x ballardiae 'HGC Pink Frost' | 5. Calluna vulgaris 'Nr 5163' | 6. Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' | 7. Buxus x 'Green Mountain' | 8. Liriope muscari 'Love Potion No. 13' | 9. Juniperus chinensis 'Spartan'
3. ADD EXTRA SPARK TO YOUR VIGNETTE
Once you've identified your special winter view and surrounded it with lovely plants, pop in furniture, art or other architectural features (like fences and pergolas). To make it even more fun, choose pieces with bright colors or interesting details to contrast with the snow or compliment your plants. Here are some more ideas I've collected on my winter Pinterest board too.
I hope you can fall in love with your garden again during the winter months.
