Top Three Ways of Creating Winter Interest

We've all seen this kind of garden: spectacular in the spring with all their flowers, mellow a bit in the summer with some foliage plants, and then put on a show in the fall with grasses and turning leaves. But what happens in the winter if you don’t have some something of interest to back it all up? You have a garden that falls flat and lacks year-round importance, that’s what. Now, we all know that we need to have some evergreens in our gardens, but apart from those dependable mainstays, look for plants that boast other impressive features that shine in winter. Below are three ways you can warm up cold days with plants that please year-round.

Colorful bark or stems. When leaves fall, you've got a bunch of limbs to look at all winter long. Why not make sure some of them pack some pizazz? Plants like Arctic Fire^™ or Pucker Up!^™ Red Twig Dogwood feature amazing bright red stems that are shockingly beautiful against pristine white snow or featured in containers by your entryway.
Berries. Assuming the leaves have fallen and the stems are just ho-hum, there’s always winter fruit to keep things hopping. Shrubs like Berry Heavy^® Winterberry Holly have red berries that are not only good food for our feathered friends, they provide intense color and shape against bare branches. Plus, there’s always the extra bonus of using the berry-laden branches for winter craft projects or for indoor table centerpieces.
Architectural forms. Now, what if you have no leaves, ho-hum stems and no berries? Do you give up? No way. Remember the winter forms of plants like ornamental grasses — their grassy texture catches light, snow and frost in a way that is stunningly beautiful. Try ‘Desert Plains’ Fountain Grass or ‘Cheyenne Sky’ Red Switch Grass. Leave the winter forms unpruned until early spring.