Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder

LOOKING AT YOUR WINTERTIME LANDSCAPES

So many avid gardeners are now adjusting to a gardening season where there is not a lot of activity. But, on nice, sunny days, it is good to get outside, get some fresh air, walk around your gardens, and look at these gardens from a different perspective. This is the time of year that we can marvel at the artistry of our deciduous shrubs and look how they are branched. To me, this is beautiful but just in a different form.

Our winter landscape doesn’t need to be dull. Some plants can liven up our winter gardens. Consider planting the winter hardy pansies. Pansies love our winters. They come in so many colors and will bloom all winter long. Don’t forget that pansies do great in our winter container gardens. Just because it is winter does not mean we can not still be planting. I did a recent soil temperature check. Our soil is sitting in the low 40 degrees. This is well above freezing.

Another cool-season annual is Snapdragons. Snapdragons are cool season annuals that can add color and interest to any garden or container garden.

Hellebores—sometimes referred to as Lenten Roses, can be planted now. You may have read my blog a couple of weeks ago that I wrote about Hellebores or saw me on TV talking about Hellebores. Hellebores are wonderful evergreen perennials that are just coming into their blooming season. They will bloom most of the winter. Just keep in mind that Hellebores like a woodland setting to grow in, and they need to be planted by mixing compost into our native soil.

Heuchera, sometimes referred to as Coral Bells, are another great perennial that adds color to a winter landscape and to a winter container garden.

Bottom line—enjoy your gardens as they are. Your plants are happy.

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