Winter Wonderland Garden

Although we’re still in autumn, the increasingly short days, the first chills and, in some regions, the first light frosts remind us that winter is approaching. But this is not the end for our garden.

We often focus on flowering to keep our beds beautiful, choosing plant combinations that bloom from spring to autumn. Increasingly, we’re using plants with decorative foliage to keep the garden interesting throughout the summer months. We’re even adding plants with bright autumn colors to brighten up our spaces as the days grow shorter. But what about winter?

With a little planning, and a laidback attitude, it’s quite possible to enjoy attractive flowerbeds, even, and especially, under the snow. Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

Less Cleaning, More Beauty!

If you continue to clean up your flowerbeds in autumn by removing spent flowers, leaves and stems from perennials, and pruning shrubs down to the ground, be aware that you’re not only losing the organic matter that serves as mulch to protect roots and enrich the soil, but you’re also missing out on a great opportunity to make your garden more attractive in winter.

Faded flowers, as they blacken, contrast beautifully with the snow, and in many cases, the seed heads provide food for birds wintering in your home. For example, the dry stems of echinaceas, bee balms and rudbeckias retain their seeds, attracting birds like goldfinches all winter long. The globular heads of echinops and spiny structures of sea holly also add interesting and unique shapes to the winter landscape, while providing food and shelter for wildlife. The flowers of hydrangeas, meanwhile, turn beige and their persistent pom-poms provide a delicate texture right through to spring.

In addition, sedums like Sedum spectabile retain their tray-shaped flower heads, adding a graphic touch to the snowy garden. The sturdy stems of certain asters and St. John’s wort can also stay in place, providing a beautiful structure.

In my opinion, grasses are the queens of the winter garden. As they dry out, their leaves and inflorescences change color from green to golden or russet, depending on the species. Calamagrostis or switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), for example, add height and movement even under snow. If you avoid cutting them, they will punctuate the carpet of snow that settles in, creating striking shapes that stand out against the white of winter.

Evergreen Foliage

To create an attractive garden even in winter, evergreens are easy choices. Conifers are a classic choice, where trees like eastern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and white spruce (Picea glauca) provide a year-round screen of greenery. White pine (Pinus strobus), with its long, soft needles, and balsam fir (Abies balsamea), a symbol of the boreal forests, add a natural touch that stands up well to cold.

In addition, more compact conifers, such as common juniper (Juniperus communis) and Virginia juniper (Juniperus virginiana), are ideal for small spaces or borders, while offering dense, interesting foliage in winter. Dwarf versions of these species are often available for small gardens or flowerbeds. Canada yew (Taxus canadensis), a low conifer with dark green foliage, is also an excellent choice for adding subtle texture to the garden.

Creeping conifers, such as Siberian carpet cypress (Microbiota decussata) and creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), provide ground cover while remaining green throughout the winter. They are particularly suitable for borders and rock gardens.

Evergreen perennials like Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia) add a touch of color and texture. Its large, leathery leaves often turn purple with the cold, adding visual interest under the snow. Polysticum acrosticum (Polystichum acrostichoides) and heuchera (Heuchera spp.) maintain green or purple foliage throughout the winter, while some sedge species offer a touch of lightness with their slender leaves.

For ground cover, wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is an excellent choice, with its glossy leaves and red berries adding a splash of color in winter.

Branches and Decorative Bark

Don’t forget plants whose branches and bark stand out visually, especially when contrasted against the snow. Some species have colorful, exfoliating bark or strikingly tinted branches that create a spectacular effect.

Staghorn dogwood (Cornus sericea), for example, is well known for its bright red stems that persist throughout the winter, creating a vivid contrast with the snow. The yellow-branched dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’), meanwhile, offers bright yellow branches that add warmth to a winter landscape. These shrubs are ideal for adding color and can be planted in groups for an even more impressive effect.

White birch (Betula papyrifera) is another iconic example. Its gently exfoliating white bark creates an elegant effect all winter long. And paperbark maple (Acer griseum), with its reddish-brown bark that peels off in thin layers, is particularly interesting when illuminated by the weak winter sun.

Fox Valley black birch (Betula nigra ‘Fox Valley’) is another remarkable variety, appreciated for its small size and orange-brown bark that peels decoratively. This compact shrub is perfect for small gardens, while adding a unique touch in winter with its warm, textured bark.

Among other trees and shrubs, red maple (Acer rubrum) and certain varieties of willow (Salix spp.) add interesting orange or reddish hues. The corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’), with its sinuous, twisted stems, creates an original architectural form that catches the eye, especially when frost settles on its twisted branches.

Persistant Fruit

Many shrubs with persistent berries provide not only color, but also a valuable source of food for local wildlife during the winter months. Among the most popular is the American cranberrybush (Viburnum trilobum), sometimes called the highbush cranberry. This shrub produces clusters of bright red berries that persist on its branches throughout the cold season. Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) is another shrub distinguished by its persistent red berries. Not only do they add a bright touch to the snowy landscape, they also attract birds such as blackbirds and chickadees.

The Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), a hardy shrub well adapted to northern climates, is also renowned for its bright red berries that persist after the leaves have fallen. Particularly appreciated for its winter fruits, this holly brightens up gardens while providing valuable winter food for birds.

Rowan or mountain-ash (Sorbus aucuparia), with its clusters of orange-red berries, is another popular choice for adding color to winter landscapes. Its fruits attract a wide variety of birds, helping to support biodiversity in gardens.

An Enchanting Landscape All Winter Long

Winter doesn’t mean the end of your garden. With the right choice of evergreen plants, decorative bark and colorful berries, you can create an enchanting landscape that glistens under the snow. By allowing certain plants to dry naturally, you also provide a refuge and a valuable food source for wildlife throughout the cold season. A well-thought-out garden can be a veritable winter tableau, where nature continues to express itself elegantly, even in the dormancy of winter.

Which plants do you prefer to beautify your garden in winter?