So your landscaping looked great all spring, summer, and fall, but what happens when winter hits? All of your warm weather plants die off or go dormant, leaving you with colorless, lifeless winter landscaping. It takes some planning and work to improve the situation, but once cold weather comes around you’ll be so glad you took the time.
As long as temperatures aren’t too cold, winter is also a great time to hardscape. That’s because you won’t be busy mowing, gardening, or planting. Hardscaping involves all non-living elements of your landscaping. It could mean installing a new patio, water feature, retaining wall, or something that doesn’t require as much construction such as a stone walkway or pre-made arbor. Doing these types of projects in the winter will leave you with more time to focus on the living aspects of your yard come spring.
Even if you skip past the hardscaping route, there are so many plant options that will improve the look of your yard during winter. Look for characteristics like height, color, hardiness, and intrigue — if a plant has one or more of these, you’re off to the races.
Height — Low-lying plants quickly get covered by snowfall and disappear, so it’s best to look for varieties that grow taller.
Color — Since winter tends to bring drab colors, with everything turning brown and getting covered with white snow, plants with a pop of color can make a big difference. Berries, flowers, and evergreen foliage are great options.
Hardiness — Berries and flowers only go so far if they aren’t hardy enough to withstand the cold. Make sure to check the ideal climate for the plants you want to use.
Intrigue — Trees with unusual bark texture or branching pattern are perfect for all seasons. Their leaves are bright during spring and summer, change color and shed in the fall, and the bare tree is beautiful to look at during the winter.
The following popular plants will add these characteristics to your yard in winter:
- Evergreen holly, particularly China holly and compact inkberry holly for the Midwestern climate
- Red twig dogwood, known for its fiery red branches
- Tall, perennial grass that will add an ornamental touch
- Birch trees, for their interesting bark
- Yews, or conifers with evergreen needles and bright berries
You can tackle winterizing your landscaping on your own, but here at Capital Landscaping, we’d also be happy to help make your visions come to life. We can design a plan together and set a schedule to make sure the project gets done in a timely manner — and gets done exactly how you’d like. Contact us or give us a call at 515-244-2724 to get started.