When the leaves fall in autumn, some shrubs and trees reveal what might be their most ornamental and beautiful element; their bark. So easily overlooked when first selecting a tree or shrub for your garden design, this is an important aspect to consider when looking at a year-round garden. After all, with fewer flowers to distract, every element in a winter garden is on display.
Texture: Some bark is lovely because of its unique texture like the Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) which is a large stately shade tree growing 60-75' tall and 50-60' wide. It is hardy in zones 4-8 and the bark ages to a dark gray-brown that contrasts nicely with the snow and adds texture with its long, deep furrows and ridges. Bright golden leaves in the fall make this a lovely addition to the landscape.
The Heritage Birch Tree (Betula bigra 'Heritage') is hardy in zones 3b-9 and grows 40-60' tall and 40-60' wide. The texture of its bark is unique with the beautiful silvery outer bark peeling back in large patches to reveal a creamy tan inner bark. It is also another tree with brilliant fall foliage.
Is your winter garden dull and dreary? Or full of beauty and interest no matter what time of the year? Want to learn to increase the winter beauty in your landscape?Beauty in the winter landscape can be found in:
Winter Blooms -- Yes, flowers in the winter are possible.
Seeds & Seedpods -- Beautiful snow catching, and eye catching additions to the winter garden.
Berries -- Sometimes seeds are in the form of brilliant berry clusters.
Shapes & Silhouettes -- Even without leaves plants can be beautiful or unique.
Barks -- From subdued to fiery, there are plenty of choices.
Evergreens -- The classic staple of the four-season garden.
I have to admit that for me, thinking of my garden from a year-round perspective took a bit of time to learn. Even though I am not one to buy plants that are blooming and I like perennials which have staggered bloom times, I still had a habit of planting what would look good at the height of the season, say June and July, leaving me with nothing but a bed mounding with shrub-like herbs, no flowers and an snarl of plants by August and September.Learning to pre-plan... [More]
