The winter garden

It always makes me a little sad when all the outdoor Christmas lights are put away for the year.  The yard seems bare and plain.  It was sunny and warmer today (above zero!) so I took a walk around the yard and realized that it's full of interesting sights.  Not the bling of Christmas lights, but still beautiful.  Of course it is - I planned it that way!

We in Wisconsin only have five or six months to spend out in our yards.  The rest of the year, the garden can still be enjoyed from the window.  It takes some of the dreariness out of winter days to look out and see something besides solid white. But it takes some planning when it's warm to set your landscape up with winter interest.  This spring, in addition to picking out new plants to try and arranging pots on the deck, think about what you'd like to see out your windows in winter 2016.  Here are some things you might want add to your landscape so that next winter you'll enjoy your yard for all 12 months.

Garden art is instant color and form.  Gazing balls come in so many gorgeous colors.  I want them all!  Bottle trees add a pop of cheerful color.  Unpainted metal sculptures are a more subtle focal point.

This is a driftwood "sculpture".

Sturdy vines like this trumpet vine have a sculptural form in winter.

This crane gets lost amid the summer foliage.  I forget he's there until winter.

A sundial makes an interesting focal point.

Cement scupltures hold up well in our harsh weather.

Not all grasses are hardy in our winters.  Check before you buy.

There are lots of  landscape plants you can enjoy year-round.  If you don't have any hardy tall grasses in your garden, you need some! Plant them in the front yard where you'll see them waving in the wind every time you leave your house or come home.

      

     

River birches look great in winter.  The peeling bark is more apparent when the leaves have fallen.

When you're cleaning up your garden in fall, leave some sturdy perennials standing. 

The flower heads of coneflower and hydrangeas will look good until spring.

If you want to see something green in winter (besides conifers) plant holly or yucca.

For some color, yellow and redtwig dogwoods stand out in the snow.

For subtle winter beauty, add some rock to your garden.  I love how the snow drapes over our rock retaining walls.

  

I didn't notice that I forgot to bring this little guy inside for the winter until I wondered what that thing was sticking out of the snow.  He's going to be upset!

Mid-winter Beauty

I said I would post about freezing vegetables, but I just have to write about all the birds we are getting at our feeder with a new seed mix.  We don't have a lot of mature trees in our subdivision, so we don't get much variety of bird life.  We've always had lots of juncos and finches, and a pair of cardinals, but now we are getting birds that don't usually come to the feeder outside our kitchen window.


We've never had red-bellied woodpeckers before.

We now have a pair of blue-jays too.

Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal are here several times a day.

 

The seed heads of silver lace vine on the deck  bring the juncos close to the window. 

 It looks like a busy restaurant.

 

The birds love the new food.  It's a berry-flavored nut and raisin mix.  The cold days seem less dismal when there's so much activity outside!

Holly and Ivy

I don't actually have any ivy, but I do have several holly plants.  It's worth growing just to be able to have fresh holly for Christmas decorating.

It looks fresh for a couple of weeks - doesn't change at all!

When I went out to cut holly I noticed how beautiful the garden is.  Without the distraction of all the colors, what you notice is the forms of the plants.  When planning your landscape, don't think only about the seasons when you spend time outside.  Even though you won't be walking around the yard much in winter, it can provide pleasure every day when you look out the window.  Plan for intriguing views all year long.  Plants that are overlooked in summer can be standouts during different seasons.

Topiaries look more dramatic in winter than in summer.

My favorite topiary looks like it has a hat on each of its heads.

Be sure to leave seed heads for birds to eat.
                                                                                                                                                                                                    

The bark of river birch is hardly noticeable in summer, but looks stunning in winter.

                              The garden has a different kind of beauty at night.

Plant stand covered with a gumdrop of snow.

These Alberta spruce look like ghosts.

I don't think we'll be sitting around the fire pit for a while.

This may seem strange for a gardener, but I love my vintage aluminum Christmas tree!

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!