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Garden ideas for winter


20+ Winter Gardening Ideas for the Vegetable Garden

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These twenty winter gardening ideas will keep you busy in the colder months and prepare the garden for the year ahead. Ideas include creating more growing space, DIY plant pots, planting hedgerows and bare-root plants, and much more

We’re deep into winter, but that doesn’t mean that we have to stay inside, twiddling our green thumbs. There’s plenty to do to prepare for the vegetable gardening year ahead. Building hardscaping, planning what to grow, and where, and getting organized. There are even seeds that benefit from being sown now, under the warmth of grow lights. Use this list of winter gardening ideas to get a head-start on this year’s garden and prepare for the harvests ahead.

1. Build raised beds, paths, and other hardscaping

Winter is the perfect time to build projects for the garden. Create raised garden beds, garden paths, rose arbors, sheds, or plant supports like berry trellises. Trust me, it’s stressful to get these types of projects done when you’re trying to grow crops at the same time. Build them as a winter gardening project and you’ll be all set for spring growth.

Build garden features such as pathways, plant supports, trellises, and garden beds

2. Make Newspaper Plant Pots

If one of your goals is to recycle more and use less plastic, make newspaper plant pots. The paper and ink are safe for growing plants, and the pots last just long enough before they begin breaking down. It works out well because, by that time, you can plant, newspaper pot and all.

I share two ways how to make newspaper plant pots over here

3. Weave Garden Edging With Sticks

Winter is when we prune raspberry canes. Mine are autumn fruiting varieties, so I cut them all down to about two inches from the ground. With summer fruiting, you only cut the old wood. Regardless, you’re left with a bundle of canes that are usually burned or composted. Instead of disposing of them, use them to make raspberry cane wattle edging. My first one lasted three years before I took it down. During that time, it helped keep the compost contained in the raspberry bed. Since the canes are hollow, they also provide homes for insect life. This is one winter gardening idea that I make time for each year.

4. Plant Bare-root Strawberries

Winter gardening ideas wouldn’t be complete without some planting! Most people who plant strawberries will have purchased them in pots in spring. Those in the know are wise enough to think ahead and order them bare-root. Bare-root strawberries arrive in the winter and need planting then too. If it’s mild enough, you can plant them directly in the soil, but it’s sometimes better to plant them in pots and grow on in the greenhouse first. Bare-root strawberry plants are far cheaper than potted plants, and you’ll have a lot more choice in variety too.

Bare-root strawberries arrive like this in the winter. You plant them in pots or direct in the garden.

5. Plant a Hedgerow, an Edible Hedge

If you have enough land, you cannot go wrong with planting an edible hedge. They’re great boundary plantings, provide habitat for wildlife, and with very little work on your part, will produce crops of nuts, berries, and fruit. It’s a win-win situation. We have a ‘Gin Makers Hedge‘ planted at our allotment, kindly donated by Hopes Grow Nurseries.

It arrived two years ago as bare-root shrubs and I dug them in late February. Two years on it’s beginning to fill in with various types of wild rose, sloes, elderberries, wild cherries, wild pear, and more. I loved it so much that I planted another one at home! There are other nurseries out there that can supply bare-root edible hedge plants too, but you’ll need to order and plant them in winter.

Edible hedges produce crops of wild berries and fruit

6. Build a Grow-light System

This winter gardening idea is one that will kickstart your growing year! Having a dedicated grow-light system gives you far more space to start seeds in winter, and you can even use it to grow salad crops in the cold months. All you need to build one is a little space, shelves, and the right lights. You can even use it to start seeds indoors for planting out after the last frost. I recently invested in a metal shelving rack and two suspended grow lights. They weren’t cheap but I did start a lot of seedlings off early this spring.

If you’re on a budget all you have is a window sill, I’d recommend you get this clip-on grow light. I’ve used it for two years and love how it makes that space a better-growing place for seedlings. With it, you don’t have to worry about them becoming leggy as they reach for the light. The seedlings benefit from both natural daylight and supplemental light from above.

You can get grow lights that clip onto your window sill

7. Deep Clean the Greenhouse

Before spring sowing and growing begins, deep clean the greenhouse. It gives you a chance to clean the glass, improve light, remove pests, and sanitize growing spaces. If you have problems with slugs, spider mites, or fungal infestations (plants, not your toes!) then that’s even more reason to tackle this as early as possible.

8. Begin Forcing Rhubarb

Forcing rhubarb creates very early, tender stems of bright pink rhubarb. It’s much more of a thing in Britain, but I hope those of you in the USA and abroad give it a go too. Though you can use a traditional terracotta rhubarb forcing pot, placing a clean rubbish bin (garbage can) over your plant does the same thing. It warms the air and ground around the rhubarb and encourages it to grow up to a month earlier.

Forcing rhubarb creates tender and sweet pink stems

9. Chit potatoes

Although you can plant potatoes that are not chitted, some people swear by giving them this head start. Chitting means setting your seed potatoes in a bright place for about four-to-six weeks before planting them out. Setting them in egg cartons seems to be a popular method to keep them from rolling off the table. Just like in your kitchen cupboard, the potatoes will begin to form sprouts. Plant them with the sprouts orientated the right way and you’ll see green shoots earlier than if you hadn’t chitted them first.

Chitting potatoes give the plants a head start

10. Build Birdhouses

Spring is around the corner and with it will be garden birds. You’re likely feeding them right now since many garden birds rely on our help for the winter. You can help them even more by building boxes for them to nest in. The video below shows how to make a simple wooden birdhouse but there are many different designs that you can choose. It’s a great activity for a rainy or snowy afternoon, and you could even paint them before installing them in the garden in March.

Find this rustic birdhouse in 30+ Garden Projects using Sticks & Twigs

11. Garden Planning

Plan your garden: what you’d like to grow, where you’d like to put it, and when you need to sow seeds. Browse seed catalogs and Instagram for ideas. Use a garden journal or online planner if you’d like, but organizing now will keep you on track in the summer. It’s armchair gardening at its best, and the perfect winter gardening task for days when it’s just too cold, windy, or snowy to want to venture outdoors. This is one of those winter gardening ideas that you’ll truly enjoy! I go through how I plan my garden each year in this video if you’d like to see my system.

Spend time planning the garden and what you’d like to grow

12. Harvest Winter Veg

Many kitchen gardeners focus on growing summer and autumn crops. If you plan ahead, you can have leeks, brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflowers, beets, parsnips, and other vegetables to harvest through the winter. An unusual and delicious winter vegetable that I’ve been growing for some years is the New Zealand Yam (oca).

One of my other favorites is purple sprouting broccoli. The earliest variety begins cropping in December with others following from January to May. They’re part of the brassica (or cole) family and are fairly winter hardy. The family also includes many varieties of cabbage and kale grown to be harvested in winter. Many root vegetables are hardy down to 25 °F (-2.2 °C) too, so if you’re in zones 8-11, you can leave them in the ground until needed.

13. Sow the First Seeds

Though you’ll need to hold off for most veg, some seeds do benefit from a very early start. Three of these include onions, chilis, tomatoes,  and eggplant (aubergines). That’s because each needs a long growing season, and if you’re in a mild or cold climate, your plants might not have enough time to produce if you sow in spring. You can also grow salad greens and loose-leaf lettuce right through the winter. Indoors, they’ll grow with a grow-light set-up, and plants started at the end of summer will continue growing slowly in greenhouses and polytunnels. Here’s more guidance on the earliest seeds to sow.

Start off tender veg like tomatoes indoors

14. Order bare-root fruit bushes and trees

It’s not just strawberries that you can order bare-root. Add more perennial fruit bushes and trees to the garden in winter too. You can get apples, pears, currants, gooseberries, and more for a much better price if you order bare-root. They’ll arrive looking like dead sticks, but don’t worry, the plants are dormant and just waiting to break into bud and leaf. In winter you can also plant bare-root roses and other bare-root shrubs.

In winter, many fruit trees, bushes, and even rose bushes are available to order and plant bare-root

15. No greenhouse or polytunnel? Get one

Gardening without a greenhouse is possible, but growing with one is a joy! My current greenhouse is a vintage model and came with our house, and I’ve had a heavy-duty plastic Palmram model before too. I sold it when we bought the new house and the new owner took it away on the back of a trailer. You can get a greenhouse from a specialist company, and I’ve seen many for sale on Facebook, eBay, and other places. Greenhouses, and polytunnels for that matter, come in various sizes and price ranges, but another option is to build one. My friend Barb and her husband built theirs from recycled windows and she shares how they did it in the video below.

16.

Attend a Seed Swap

Think of all the seed packets you’ve purchased in your life. Have you used all the seeds or have had to throw some away? Seed swaps are a fabulous way to give them away and take other seeds home that you actually need. That way seeds don’t get wasted and you save money. These community garden events are popping up regularly these days and the one I organize has been going strong since 2011. If you can’t find a seed swap in your area, use my tips to start your own. It’s fun, and I guarantee that you’ll have more than a few people interested in coming.

Attend or organize a seed swap to save money on seeds

17. Clean your Pots

If you think your greenhouse gets mucky after a gardening season, think about your pots, modules, and trays. It’s not “dirt” that you should be worried about, but bacteria, viruses, fungi, and pests. Give them a good scrub using these tips from my pal Stephanie at Garden Therapy.

18.

Clean your tools

Most of us keep our tools in reasonably good condition, but aren’t disinfecting and oiling them throughout the year. Winter is a great time to wipe them down with alcohol, buff any rust off, and oil them with good oil. Some people use WD-40, but to keep it more natural use natural vegetable oil. Olive oil works and boiled linseed oil is a favorite since it dries quickly. Winter gardening ideas can be fun and some are just necessary. This is one of them!

19. Tidy the Shed

While you’re cleaning your pots and tools, empty the shed and give it a full clean too. I recommend using the Marie Kondo method to clean the garden and have an entire piece dedicated to how you can use its principles in the garden. It’s so satisfying getting all of your materials organized and prepared for spring.

Time to sort out your garden shed (ahem…hoard)

20.

Sprout Seeds

Homegrown greens can be sparse unless you have a grow-light system or warm greenhouse or polytunnel. There’s another way to get your greens though — by sprouting seeds. All you need is a large glass jar with a lid, water, seeds suitable for sprouting, and a little time to have fresh salad sprouts any time of the year. You can also sprout seeds in other containers, but jars are by far the easiest way.

Sprout seeds in jars for fresh winter greens

More Winter Gardening Ideas

Winter isn’t just a time to plan for next year’s garden, it’s time to get a head start on it! I hope that these winter gardening ideas have given you inspiration for projects both in the garden and indoors. If you’re looking for even more to do, check out the Lovely Greens YouTube Channel and browse through these gardening ideas.

20 ways to a beautiful winter backyard |

(Image credit: Future)

Looking for winter garden ideas to give your backyard a beautiful finish, even when the weather is dismal? The good news is that winter garden ideas can be just as stylish, architectural and even as colorful as those you might expect to see in a summer garden.  

Unsurprisingly, the best garden ideas are achieved by careful winter garden planning – if you can get all the right elements into your backyard in winter, you're guaranteed a beautiful show.

Below, we bring you our favorite winter garden ideas – all achievable, and many low-maintenance and guaranteed to look good winter after winter.

Winter garden ideas

To bring you the very best in winter garden ideas, we spoke to the experts, including Jonny Norton, head gardener at Mottisfont Abbey , a historical priory and country estate in Hampshire, England, and to five designers from the Society of Garden Designers . Here they offer ideas you can use when planning a winter garden.

1. Create structure with beautiful, bare branches

(Image credit: National Trust / Carole Drake)

Probably the most important of all winter garden ideas, structure sets the scene for the rest of your winter planting. 

Garden designer Louisa Bell MSGD recommends including a framework of skeletal trees with multi-stems or fan-trained figs but also acknowledges the importance of evergreens, saying: 'Buxus, Taxus and Ilex create great structure in the winter garden giving form to borders and creating a foil to emerging bulbs. ' 

Be sure to knock any snow off box balls though or they will splay apart.

2. Use hedging as a backdrop to winter garden planting

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

'Structure forms the backbone to a garden throughout the year but is especially important in winter,' says garden designer Lisa Cox. 'Evergreen plants and shrubs play a leading role.'

Choose evergreen varieties that can be neatly trimmed in early fall to stay smart-looking right through to spring when new buds form.

3. Man-made structures can create focal points

(Image credit: Joe Wainwright)

Structures such as arbors create interest in summer, of course, but in winter, when the flower beds have died back a little, they can make for wonderful focal points in a winter garden. However, small gardens can benefit from an inventive use of eye-catching materials that take up no space, too.

'Hard landscaping can also provide interest when the softer summery foliage and flowers have disappeared. An interesting wall, for example, or intricate detail in the paving can really help to bring additional interest when bare soil is on show,' says garden designer Lisa Cox.

4. Choose winter plants for bold color

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Plants with colorful stems and bark really come into their own as winter garden ideas especially planted en masse for maximum impact. 

'If you have the space there’s nothing more heartwarming on a dull winter's day than a border of dogwoods,' says Debbie Roberts MSGD, whose colorful winter stems range from yellow and gold through to bright orange, red and purple. Punctuated with the white stems of birch trees and evergreen mounds of rhododendron they can create a spectacular winter display.

5. Plant for fragrance

(Image credit: Future)

The best winter plants for pots and borders are those that give structure, color or even scent to your flower bed ideas. 

'I love the fragrant plants, such as winter honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima and the witch hazels, with their delicate spidery flowers and intense perfume. I see visitors literally stopping in their tracks when they get a whiff of them,' says Jonny.

6. Create architectural interest with ornamental grasses

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

If you learn how to grow ornamental grasses successfully, you will also discover that they make for wonderful winter garden ideas – maintaining their form and sparkling when covered with frost. It's important to knock snowfall off them quickly – this can bend and break their stems, although they will quickly recover in spring.

'Mixing grasses with evergreen plants is also a good idea' add Lisa Cox. 'The movement and softness creating a different dimension against the solid structure of evergreens.' Try Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’, Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’, Pennisetum ‘Hameln’ and Poa labillardieri.

7. Plant evergreens that bloom in winter

(Image credit: Lorenzo Soprani)

Other evergreens offer contrast to more feathery grasses. Garden designer Lorenzo Soprani Volpini uses Arbutus unedo (above) for its dark green leathery leaves; and Euphorbia x martini for texture and Viburnum tinus for the small clusters of white and pink flowers that bloom in January and February.

8. Plant out winter favorites

(Image credit: Future)

The best winter flowers include favorites such as hellebores and snowdrops, above. Group them in borders, use them in containers or plant them in hanging baskets. They make wonderful blooms for window boxes, too.

9. Pick plants for wildlife, even in winter

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Wildlife garden ideas aren't just for summer – there's plenty you can do to provide for wildlife when looking for winter garden ideas – both in colder months and for the year ahead, too.

'Biodiversity is the buzzword at the moment and we’re trying to include a wider range of plants to attract more wildlife,' says Jonny. 'Mahonias (above), for example, flower in winter and offer pollen to bees that wake early.'

10. Grow your own winter garden veg

(Image credit: Miracle Gro)

Winter doesn’t mean it’s the end of the growing season. If you’ve really got into growing your own fruits and vegetables, with all its environmental and health benefits, and are looking for kitchen garden ideas that extend into winter, there are many delicious crops that flourish in the colder months.

Carrots and fava beans are just a few examples and make for a perfect side dish to your Sunday roast. 

11. Topiary looks its best in a winter garden

(Image credit: Annaick Guitteny)

Topiary is a wonderful addition to your list of winter garden ideas. Once the frosts and snows arrive, they take on a whole new dimension, creating stunning sculptural pieces within a space that's much barer in winter than in summer. Of course, they needn't be this large – it's all about the maintenance.

'Many evergreens can grow very big if left to their own devices, so I’d choose those that you can clip into shape, such as yew,' says Jonny Norton. 

'Or plant small-leaved hebes, which are fairly hardy and make nice winter features.'

12. Go overboard with winter-flowering bulbs

(Image credit: Future/Carole Barrow)

Container gardening ideas are an easy way to keep a garden looking colorful in winter – and as with winter hanging basket ideas, it makes sense to position them where you can see them.  

‘I encourage my clients to bring a table close to a window,’ says Louisa Bell, ‘and to keep a succession of pots filled with bulbs, ivy, cyclamen and auricula. They provide a wonderful splash of color and form close to the house, whilst everything behind has died back.’

13. Group winter flowering plants for added impact

(Image credit: Future)

Winter foliage can add the most beautiful textures and muted colors to a garden which is worth remembering when combining plants in a border.

Garden designer Cheryl Cummings suggests concentrating the effects of flower color by gathering winter flowering species such as helleborus and crocus close together within view of a window or by a path for an uplifting splash of color. Underplant with early narcissus and galanthus for extra flower power.

14. Put up a pergola for evergreen climbers

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

If your garden lacks shelter, then adding a man-made structure like a pergola could be a good winter garden idea for you. Providing shelter from the winter elements and shade in summer, the pergola is a year-round winner. 

15. Pick garden furniture that looks good year-round

(Image credit: Future / Polly Eltes)

The trend for making outdoor spaces an extension of the home shows no sign of slowing down – even in winter, so it makes sense to choose garden furniture – set around a fire pit of course – that can stay outdoors year round. This cuts down on maintenance – you don't have to worry about winter-hardy furniture degrading nor put it away in a garden building – but more importantly, it creates an inviting scene to look at from indoors, on the occasions when it's too chilly to go outdoors.

16. Consider a sheltered space you can use year round

(Image credit: Future / David Cleveland)

A semi-open sheltered spot that offers a dry spot to sit in winter can look really beautiful – and needn't be difficult to construct. In winter it can provide somewhere to gather with friends; in summer, it can either provide shade or, if set facing south, a private spot to sunbathe.

17. Invest in a chiminea

(Image credit: Future / David Brittain)

Take the chill off evenings in the garden with a chiminea or a fire pit. Each is easy to light and uses a range of fuels. The chiminea draws in more air so it will give a stronger heat than a fire basket.

Outdoor heating can come in many guises. From fire pits and chimineas to electric heaters and blankets, there are plenty of accessible and affordable outdoor heating options for large and small winter gardens alike. 

18. Hang a bird feeder

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bird houses and feeding birds in cold months are both no-brainer winter garden ideas. Both bird houses and bird feeders need to be positioned where birds won't be vulnerable to predators – as far as possible. This means placing them at least 5ft from the ground. While bird feeders can be positioned close together – near the house allows you to enjoy watching the birds feed – bird houses should be positioned apart – up to 30ft if possible.  

(Image credit: Courtesy of Christian Douglas Design)

Impervious to weather, garden sculptures should always make it on to a list of winter garden ideas. In summer they will look beautiful, but of course will compete for attention with blooms. In winter, they can frame a view, as above, or perhaps become the focal point of a view from inside the house.

20. Include house plants in your winter garden display

(Image credit: Sofa.com)

Since we spend so much more time indoors than out in winter, it's always worth in investing in a few of the best winter house plants. From cyclamen to citrus trees, these are the plants that grow well in cool, drafty or heated conditions. Place them near windows or patio doors and you will extend the view of your winter garden ideas from indoors to out.

How do I make my garden look good in winter?

As you would in summer, it's vital to go for a combination of planting approaches to make a winter garden look fabulous.

That means ensuring there are plenty of evergreens to provide color, texture, privacy and shelter for wildlife. Planting for winter flowers and scent is a must, too, so that you can enjoy your garden when you're in it, but also from indoors. Keeping the garden tidy by sweeping up leaves in autumn is important, but don't forget to leave a leaf or log pile for wildlife to live or hide in. Then, of course, rely on containers around the house or at view points within the garden so that you can enjoy some extra splashes of winter color.

Lastly, continue feeding birds in winter so that when there's not much to look at when it comes to flowers and foliage, there's still plenty of entertainment as they arrive in your garden. 

Lucy Searle has written about interiors, property and gardens since 1990, working her way around the interiors departments of women's magazines before switching to interiors-only titles in the mid-nineties. She was Associate Editor on Ideal Home, and Launch Editor of 4Homes magazine, before moving into digital in 2007, launching Channel 4's flagship website, Channel4. com/4homes. In 2018, Lucy took on the role of Global Editor in Chief for Realhomes.com, taking the site from a small magazine add-on to a global success. She was asked to repeat that success at Homes & Gardens, where she has also taken on the editorship of the magazine. 

11 cozy decor ideas for your garden in winter

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03.12.2020

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Spruce branches, feeders, a beautiful woodshed - we suggest ideas to make your garden as beautiful in winter as in summer.

pixabay

Colorful flower beds, fruit trees and ornamental lawn - you will not see all this in winter. But you can take Nordic color for inspiration, and decorate the site in winter. Focus on natural materials and plenty of light.

The video lists all the ideas for decorating the winter garden

1 Garlands

In general, a garden with any lighting looks much more attractive than without. One of the fastest ways to light up trees and bushes would be LEDs. LED lighting is not only in the format of garlands, but also in a variety of decorative forms.

Instagram @niwakigarden

LEDs are battery-operated and do not require an electrical connection, so you can place such a backlight anywhere. Choose models that are designed for outdoor use.

2 Woodshed

Why not combine aesthetics with utility and create a beautiful woodshed on your property? This decoration will not hurt the budget, especially if you already store firewood for the winter. Tree cuts against the backdrop of winter nature will look very beautiful.

Instagram @lilium_land

Get creative and add other shapes, such as round or triangular, to the usual woodshed compartments and stack the wood in them. A geometric pattern is formed in which the tree will become a full-fledged decoration of the site, and not just a material for the firebox.

3 Feeders

Another 2-in-1 decoration option: both beautiful and useful. Feeders can be made independently, for example, as part of a game with a child. Or buy ready-made and hang around the site.

Instagram @timeless_by_ronica

Small houses in which birds fly will make the garden sleeping in winter livelier. At the same time, you can study the individuals that winter in your area.

4 Spruce branch decorations

Bundles and bouquets of spruce branches can be arranged throughout the garden. And instead of a vase, use a steel bucket or a wicker basket. In the basket, in addition to spruce branches, you can put Christmas decorations or put a candlestick.

Instagram @sjarmerendekusiner

Another variant of the decor is bunches of pine needles tied in the manner of small Christmas trees. From above, they can be decorated with colorful red hats or an LED garland.

5 Ordinary branch decorations

Ordinary branches woven into frames of various geometric shapes make beautiful decorations for the garden. They look natural and fit perfectly into the landscape in both summer and winter.

Instagram @lbseasons

In summer, this decor looks discreet, it is interrupted by flowers and greenery in the neighborhood. But in winter, subject to regular snow removal, decorations stand out.

6 Candlesticks

Instagram @roses_dekor

Decorative candlesticks can be placed around the garden in the manner of sculptures. Complement them with LED candles and use as a street lighting element.

7 Coniferous plants in pots

If you did not have time or did not want to plant evergreen coniferous plants on the site in summer, they can be placed there even in cold weather.

Instagram @meli_ha18

Fir trees, pines, fir trees in tubs can act as part of the landscape or become the center of attraction in the New Year - if they are dressed up.

8 Sculptures

Monumental stone decorations for the garden - decor that looks trendy in both winter and summer. Just remember to keep them free of snow.

Instagram @yuliya_vedernikova_ld

It is important to harmonize the design of such decorative items with the overall design of the garden and the facade of the house. Against the background of a wooden small house, a marble flowerpot will look out of place.

9 Christmas decorations

Balls, snowflakes and other decorations that are usually used in the interior can also be taken out into the yard.

Instagram @house4garden

Of course, it is not worth decorating a snowy apple tree with balls, but you can pour it into wooden boxes and place it on the site.

10 Wood decor

Carved wood trees, deer and other winter heroes would look great on the main porch, on the porch, or can be placed on the yard.

Instagram @daniflower_austria

Choose a level, well-lit area for placement so that the wooden decorations do not get lost among the real trees.

11 Arrangement in a drawer

A beautiful arrangement can be arranged not only at home on a coffee table or chest of drawers, but also on the yard.

Instagram @kopflastigs_garten

One of the options for creating decor is to fill the box with different items: a candlestick, cones, decorative trees, spruce branches in a bouquet, fruits. And put it in a conspicuous place on the site.

Prepared by

Elena Perlova

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How to create a garden equally beautiful in winter and summer: basic rules

Increasingly, suburban areas are becoming a permanent residence for gardeners. And the owners want to see it attractive every day

We take a responsible approach to the planning of summer plantings - up to the selection of the height and shades of buds of future plants within a common flower bed. But few people are planning the winter view of the site. This is just as important to consider if you want to enjoy your garden all year round.

Katerina Galkina

1. Consider zoning
The garden will be beautiful at any time of the year if arranged correctly. Think over the structure of not only small, but also large landings. So trees and shrubs are always advised to be planted in groups - single plantings and paths between them can look chaotic. Also, the groups give the garden volume, and the smooth surface of the lawn or pond will serve as a good contrast for these groups.

Le jardinet

In summer, paths emphasize the structure of the garden, but in winter they are simply invisible under a layer of snow. If you are going to walk in the garden in winter, lay especially wide paths - alleys with rows of trees or shrubs on the sides. Cleared of snow, they create the same exact effect as traditional summer paths: mentally complete this photo with several wide alleys cleared of snow.

Advice: Alas, it is not possible to create such large objects on every site. Here, retaining walls of various configurations or even high sides of flower beds can come to the rescue, which will be clearly visible on the snow-covered surface of the garden.

MJ McCabe-Garden Design

2. Think in shapes
In the absence of foliage and bright colors, graphics come to the fore. Different tree species have different crown shapes, and in winter this is of particular importance. Combine pyramids and cones, umbrellas and balls. Rows of geometrically trimmed bushes look good not only in summer, but also in winter, under a snow cap

Tip: In addition to the general contour of the crown, you can focus on the intricate shape of the branches, for example, the winding willow (Matsudana or Sverdlovskaya).

Liquidscapes

3. “Remove” the leaves
We should also not forget about non-living objects, buildings and small architectural forms, which in summer are often hidden by tree leaves and climbing plants, and in winter they play an independent role. Even an ordinary greenhouse can be given an interesting configuration, painted in a bright color. Not to mention gazebos, pergolas, arches, etc. All these objects will give the picture of the garden additional graphics.

Read also ...

Sunny house: Greenhouse can be beautiful
That is not a gazebo: pergola in your garden
Living gazebo: from which it is grown in in the Central Russian strip
Corner in the kindergarten: Barling patio, terrace or armchair?

Openspace Architecture

4. The base color is the color of needles
It is conifers that mainly bring color diversity to the garden during the white season. But have you ever thought about the fact that the needles have a lot of shades? So build winter garden decor in shades of green. There are a large number of species and varieties of conifers with shades from dark green to emerald, from bluish to yellow. By grouping them, you can get interesting compositions.

Important: The riddle familiar to everyone since childhood “the same color in winter and summer” is not entirely true — Most coniferous plants change their color to darker or turn slightly yellow in autumn and winter. Therefore, there should not be too many conifers in the winter garden - with a large accumulation of such trees, it will become gloomy on the site.

Barbara Pintozzi

5. Take into account the winter hardiness of conifers
Some of them are quite thermophilic (planting will have to be wrapped up for the winter). Enthusiasts who want to grow certain species and varieties on their plots protect them with covering material. But, as a rule, we are talking about those gardeners who do not happen in the garden in winter. And we, who live on the site all year round, are unlikely to be delighted by the sight of wrapped "mummies".

The main difficulty is that most of the imported plants cannot stand the bright sun combined with the frozen ground at the end of winter and beginning of spring, and "burn". Therefore, it is advisable to choose local and acclimatized species and varieties of coniferous plants for the garden.

SEE ALSO…
Staying Winter: Choosing Hardy Trees and Shrubs

Howard Jay Supnik Landscape Architect LLC

Wagner Hodgson

6. Add "blotches" of color with bark
Some deciduous trees and shrubs have a very attractive bark color that can be clearly seen in the absence of foliage. First of all, these are, of course, birch trees that look spectacular at any time of the year. In bird cherry Maak, the color of the bark varies from honey to copper. Some types of willows, wild roses, various varieties of derains also have brightly colored bark of various shades.

Important: The brightness of the bark largely depends on the illumination: for example, in the shade of the bird cherry Maaka, the bark loses its saturated color and becomes brown-gray. In derains, young shoots are especially bright - if it is important for you to achieve a color accent, then the plants should be subjected to radical pruning annually.

Paintbox Garden

Tip: Shades and nuances of color will be clearly visible against a white background. But they may not be combined with each other in the same group. Therefore, it is better to plant several plants of the same species or variety side by side in order to create a significant color spot in size.

Paintbox Garden

6. Berries for Birds and Decor
Fruit trees and shrubs also add color to the garden. But even here there are nuances. Clusters of mountain ash and brushes of viburnum, as well as the fruits of the apple tree (Malus baccata) look great at the beginning of winter, but later they are pecked by birds - or the fruits turn brown, shrivel and fall off. A longer effect can be expected from barberry and wild rose, because. their berries hang on branches almost all winter, and birds eat them less often.

The clusters of lilac and field ash (Sorbaria sorbifolia) do not lose their attractiveness, although here it is not the color that plays the role, but the shape.

Claudia De Yong Garden Design

Le jardinet

umbrella. These plants have rather strong stems, so they can be admired until they are completely covered with snow. Cereals are also very decorative in frost: panicles and plumes, "balls" and ears rustle and flutter in the wind, creating the illusion of movement.

Tip: When leaving all this beauty for the winter, you should be very careful. Particularly aggressive perennials can produce uncontrolled self-seeding.

Paintbox Garden

Garden decor
The area can be decorated with temporary compositions and decorative elements. In some regions of the country with a warm climate, where there is often no snow or frequent thaws, seasonal garden decor is extremely important. In the absence of snow cover, various garden sculptures will play no less a role than in summer.

EASYdesigns

The Todd Group

Various pots and floor containers with plants planted in them or with arrangements of branches, fir paws and dried flowers will look interesting on the porch of the house or at the gazebo.

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