Do not Forget the Winter Garden Interest

In late fall, with beds full of worn out perennials and annuals, sad but resolute gardeners often bid farewell to their color-filled gardens and turn their attention to the fall clean-up. The talk turns to the beautiful autumnal leaves, while inwardly gardeners sulk as they remember what was. With a little planning and some knowledge of the many magnificent but often less popular plants, gardening can easily become a four-season affair.  

The fall garden is more than cabbages and a couple of pots of mums. And the winter garden shouldn’t feel like a nuclear bomb hit the landscape.  Garden structures are fundamental to a strong winter landscape. ‘Good bones’ in the garden are not limited to well designed structures and art but should include evergreens, deciduous trees with bark interest, water features, and plants like grasses and perennials with seed-heads to attract wildlife.