  Winterberry offers an eye-catching punch of colour to winter gardens. |
With the warm, sunny days of spring still many weeks away, the yearning to see green things growing is welling inside many of us.
Though there may not be many gardening tasks to attend to, the garden still beckons. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean that we can’t get out and enjoy our yards.
There are many beautiful things to see and experience in the winter landscape.
Trees and shrubs such as beeches, redbuds and corkscrew hazels can show off interesting branch patterns that are hidden by leafy canopies the rest of the year. The branches are mirrored in their shadows falling across the snow.
Get up close to lilacs, maples and other trees and shrubs, and you will see their buds swelling with the promise of spring’s return.
The bark of birch, sycamore and paperbark maple trees are more noticeable now. Evergreens and broadleaf evergreens take a step forward in the winter garden.
There is beauty in the snow itself. Not many sights equal the wonder of awakening in the morning to a fresh blanket of snow. Every tiny seed head, every twig, every exposed inch of ground sparkles in the morning sunlight.
Or sometimes it's a magical world of ice or frost we wake up to. Even the patterns of dripping icicles hanging from the rooftops add interest to an otherwise dreary landscape.
Great plants for the winter garden are those with distinguishing features that demand your attention. Holly and winterberry sport bright red berries; evergreens boast shades of green and blue; and broadleaf evergreens offer different texture and variegated colours.
Large ornamental grasses and the seed heads of perennials not only add visual interest but also provide food for many birds. Some perennials are evergreen, such as bergenia and English ivy.
Trees and shrubs with distinctive bark and stems, such as red twig and yellow twig dogwoods, help make the winter garden more interesting.
There are also plants that bloom in late winter when there may still be snow on the ground. Add some perennial hellebores (Christmas rose), a witch-hazel shrub and early-spring-flowering bulbs such as snow drops and glory-of-the-snow to help get your garden kick-started into spring.
Another way to get a jump on spring flowers is to bring branches indoors to “force” (trick them into blooming early). Put cut branches in a bucket of warm water with a little bit of flower preservative. Forsythia, ornamental pear and pussywillow are easy to force this way.
Feeding and watching birds makes a great winter pastime. Observe the different species and their habits. Take time to watch their antics as they bring life and colour to your backyard.
Winter can’t be enjoyed fully from indoors. Become a kid again, get bundled up and find amazement in everything you see outside.
Get up close to snowflakes and see how different they really are. Breathe the fresh, cold air deep into your lungs and watch the warm air you exhale.
Listen to the squeaks and crunches of snow underfoot. Look for and follow animal tracks to see where they lead. Or just lie on your back in the snow and look at how blue the winter sky is.
Take a camera and capture the glistening snow and the way the ice wraps itself around every branch and stem.
But make the most of it while you can. Before you know it, green buds will be unfolding and a new garden season will begin.
Growing Concerns is produced by London, Ont.-area garden centres. E-mail us your gardening questions and we’ll try to respond in future columns.
