Plan for Winter Plantings

Part four in a series

It's hard to think about winter when our gardens are in full bloom and the vegetables are ripening on the vine! But we must keep winter in mind when we are planning our landscape. Afterall, we have to look at our landscape all year long, including winter. (Unless, of course, you are fortunate enough to be able to move to warmer climates in the winter or live in a climate that is tropical all year long!) But for most of us, we have to contend with four seasons and the life cycle of our landscape.

So when you are planning your landscape, keep in mind this life cycle of the plants you choose to add to your landscape design. Some plants, like flowering trees and shrubs look their best in Spring, others reach their full beauty in Summer, others still attain stunning and vibrant color in the Autumn, and yet, some evergreens look beautiful in the Winter, offset by a striking snow-covered landscape.

Add plants to your landscape that offer a variety of looks in different seasons. Don't plan your landscape with plants that all reach their peak of beauty at the same time. For example, a bed of perennials will provide a rainbow of color all summer long, but in the fall and winter, you will have to contend with a big empty space in your landscape. The same holds true for evergreens. While evergreens look beautiful in the winter-white of the colder months, they don't offer much in the summer.

So, try to choose plants for your landscape that have different focal points for different parts of the year. Look for plants that may keep red or orange berries through the winter months, or that keep a beautiful bud head through the winter for a variety of shapes. You can also postpone dead-heading some of your flowering plants until the end of winter so you have some visual interest all winter long.

Just don't be afraid to experiment. Remember, this is your landscape. Use your creativity! And if something you've tried doesn't work, try something else! You can always move a planting somewhere else and try something new.

Dean Novosat is an avid gardener and landscaper. He has transformed many boring yards into beautiful landscapes. He has several websites including http://www.the-garden-doctor.com and

---

Spurce Up Your Garden With Decorative Birdhouses

Decorative Birdhouses are active garden ornamentation --the presence and movement... Read More

Science Cant Explain Everything!

You will know that if you have spent at least... Read More

CO2 for Free

We've all heard that there is no such thing as... Read More

Create and Furnish Your Outdoor Room

More and more people are enjoying their time spent outdoors... Read More

Pressure Washing Decks

A beautiful wooden deck, properly maintained, can add greatly to... Read More

What to Feed Your Fish During Colder Winter Months

With air and water temperatures dropping in most parts of... Read More

A Bit About Bare Root Roses...

Scents from the rose garden filling the air as you... Read More

Mole Traps: Can You Use Them?

Mole control is one of the most complicated problems that... Read More

Metal Outdoor Furniture - Explained

Mention metal patio furniture and you probably think of the... Read More

Ten Considerations Before You Buy A Bird House

When you decide to buy one bird house or more... Read More

Iris Flowers Remind Me Of Mom!

Iris flowers always bring memories of mom to mind. Let... Read More

Seeding Flowers Indoors: An Inexpensive Way to a Beautiful Summer Garden

Every year you plan that THIS will be the year... Read More

Making Memories with Flower Gardening

Flower gardening is not only about the present, but can... Read More

How to Grow Cucumbers

The versatile cucumber (cucumis sativus) is tasty pickled, in a... Read More

Compost YES, Epsom Salts NO

You'll often hear garden writers recommending the use of Epsom... Read More

Here is Why You Should Use Gypsum in Gardening

Do you have clay or layer of hard subsoil problems... Read More

Canopy Swings - Escape the Weather with One

Do you love to sit outdoors and swing for hours... Read More

Funky Garden Plants 2

What's a perennial garden plant that blooms in the winter?... Read More

Plan Before Buying Rose Bushes

So, you have decided to plant rose bushes in your... Read More

Flower Meanings

Certain types or colors of flowers mean different things, and... Read More

The Benefits of Using Landscape Software

If you enjoy making your yard as beautiful as it... Read More

Growing a Sustainable Garden!

Do you wish you could grow a sustainable vegetable garden?... Read More

How to Grow Apples

The first thing you need to grow apples is a... Read More

The Container Vegetable Garden

If you live in an apartment or town home, you... Read More

Ship Ahoy! The Nautical Touch in Your Outdoor Living Space

Would you rather be sailing or are you strictly a... Read More

Water Pond Designs

You can have different water pond designs, however ones that... Read More

Backyard Bird--The Catbird

It's quiet now.Gone is the constant chatter, whistles and meowing... Read More

How to Rid that Lawn of Thatch!

You know that brown patchy debris in a lawn that... Read More

How to Decorate your Outdoor Space without Breaking the Bank

Noted English clergyman Sydney Smith (1771-1845) is quoted as saying,... Read More

Lazy Fish Worries

If your fish hang out at the bottom of the... Read More

How to Grow Avocado

Fruit gardening and vegetable gardening is a very exciting venture.... Read More

Hydroponics Gardening verses Organic Gardening: Which Grows the Best Cannabis?

Copy-write 2005 Jan Money.Hydroponics gardening offers many advantages to the... Read More

Sleeping Beauties: Porches For Dreaming

There's something magical about sleeping outside, drinking in the night... Read More