How to Create a Wonderful Winter Landscape
Another Wisconsin winter officially begins this month. And while Mother Nature reminded us about the quickly changing seasons with some early cold temperatures and snow, the calendar reveals the real start of winter at 6:03 pm (EST) on December 21st.
This time of year may not seem to be the most enjoyable for any work in your yard, but our team at Avant Gardening & Landscaping wants to encourage you to try creating your own attractive winter landscape. We suggest starting by inspecting your yard from several points of view while you are inside your home. What do you see? Do you notice where your landscaping may lack some focus or eye-catching lines? Make a few notes about these areas as the spots where you’d like to create some winter interest.
And we’ve put together these three unique ideas for you to try:
- Add some structure – cedar arbors, fences, obelisks, benches, trellises, even birdbaths are great for creating focal points in a snowy landscape. Just imagine a natural stone fire pit with a pre-set teepee of birch logs, sparkling in the sunlight after a fresh snowfall!
- Utilize architectural plants – evergreens are typically in the background during the summertime when vibrant flowers steal your attention, but these elements can provide the needed form and color to your snow-covered landscape. Consider non-green evergreens as well, such as dwarf globe blue spruce.
- Select shrubs with color – Interesting bark like ninebark, and dogwoods; or winterberries, and aronia / chokeberries are all fantastic choices for multi-seasonal plants. Each may also attract birds and other wildlife, breathing some signs of life back into your quiet, but wonderful winter landscape.