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You've tended your gardens all summer long and enjoyed the bright colors and fragrant blooms that resulted from your work. Now that winter is coming, don't stop there; you can continue to have a stunning landscape throughout the cooler months.
Here are some twists on old ideas that can help turn your yard into a winter wonderland.
During the holidays, homeowners love to string icicle lights across the eaves or outline windows on the front of the house. While common practice, it is so... common.
Mini lights strung on a Christmas tree have an almost magical effect. Why not create some of that magic outdoors in your garden? Hang strands of mini lights around evergreen trees, shrubs, or flowering hedges; taking care to avoid any bare trunks or branches. If you have an outdoor statue, create a necklace out of bittersweet, add some lights and hang it around the figure's neck. Layer spruce, cedar, or other evergreens through the slats on a garden trellis, arbor or pergola. Add some berries or pine cones and highlight with mini-lights.
Natural evergreen wreaths with bright bows make a fence or post come alive, especially with added lights.
Window boxes, cast iron planters or other containers can benefit from the same treatment. Just use plenty of layering with natural foliage and extend it over the edges as though it were over flowing. Add some colorful accents and lights.
Once you empty your summer planters, don't put them away, now it's time to begin your winter arrangement. You'll be dealing with dead plant material so there will be no worrying about watering or fertilizing. Look to pine, spruce or cedar evergreen sprigs, dogwood branches, berries, ivy, boxwood, holly or ornamental grasses. Supplement your finds with some hardy dried plants such as heather, roses, or cone flowers. Concentrate not only on color, but using a variety of shapes and textures as well.
Next spring, consider adding some garden plants for their winter landscaping value. Good choices include red-twig dogwood, holly, hemlocks, creeping cotoneasters, climbing hydrangea, river birches, Japanese variegated silver grass, blue oat grass and sedges.
The great thing about this type of landscaping, with no obvious themes, it still looks great long after the holidays are over.
Jerry Clifford has received the prestigious 100% Club award for his success as a real estate agent in the Minneapolis real estate area. He is certified as an ePRO and prides himself on attention to detail. If you need help in your search for Minneapolis townhomes, visit JerryClifford.com. |
