After the vibrant colours of fall, winter can seem a bleak and harsh season for your home landscape. But it doesn’t have to be months spent waiting to see the first colours and buds of springtime. Not enjoying your winter landscaping is a most definite lost opportunity and can be overcome with a few landscape design changes or additions.
Planting evergreens is a great way to add form and colour. Varieties of Spruce, Pine and Fir trees offer variance in shades of green and blue.
Choosing plants with berries can also add a welcome burst of colour against winter’s white backdrop. The Winterberry, a holly bush, is a popular choice because of its vibrant red berries that last all winter. If you are missing the colourful blooms of spring, the Fringe Flower and Camellia shrub also produce flowers that will bloom throughout winter.
Once you’ve decided which varieties best suit your property, don’t forget to consider what placement best accentuates your winter landscape. Placing shrubs near windows or walkways to be regularly viewed and incorporating different types of shrubs gives depth and interest to your landscape.
Adding lighting along walkways or a well-placed spotlight can also add interest and create ambience during the darker months of the year. The addition of a fire pit can extend the use of your yard year-round providing a warm natural glow and a social setting for outdoor entertaining.
This winter when you look at your home landscape; think colour, think shape and texture and look for opportunities to add lighting. You’ll be using your yard year-round and welcoming the beauty Canadian winters can bring to your landscape.