GARDEN GUIDANCE
Gardening For Winter Interest
by Karen Liwienski, Master Gardener

At this time of year, most Michigan gardeners are thinking about clearing out flower beds and cleaning up for the winter. Then we wait impatiently through the long cold seemingly endless winter before we can exercise our creativity again.

However, with a little planning, we can make our gardens interesting even in winter. Creating a winter garden is all about highlighting the upright plants and objects in the landscape. By doing this you will enhance the architectural aspects of your landscape and provide a beautiful view for yourself and others.

The easiest way to do this is to start with trees and shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous. Trees and shrubs create the structure of a landscape by providing height, shape and color. Many have silhouettes that are beautiful without leaves or they may have interesting bark. Hollies and barberry have colorful berries that look especially beautiful against a backdrop of snow.

But you can also provide winter interest by leaving perennials standing all winter rather than cutting and clearing them. The plants that look best include those that will remain sturdy with a blanket of snow including ornamental grasses, coneflowers, rudbeckia and sedum. The seed heads will also attract and feed birds during the cold winter months, and the birds themselves bring interest to our gardens.

The last item to think about in building a winter garden is structures like trellises, arbors and statuary. Rather than moving them into the garage consider leaving any that would not be destroyed by weather outside to add another visual element.

So, if you haven’t gotten outside to start deconstructing all your hard summer work, reconsider and save some garden clean up for spring.

• • • • •

UPCOMING MASTER GARDENER EVENTS

• April 10, 2010 - Spring Into Gardening Conference and Yard & Garden Expo, Ubly Heights Country Club, Ubly. Keynote speaker will be Janet Macunovich.
• May 22, 2010 - Perennial Plant Sale, Merchants’ Building, Fairgrounds, Bad Axe
• June 26, 2010 - Huron County Garden Walk
• July 25-31, 2010 - Information Booth and Wildflower Display Garden at the Huron Community Fair, Fairgrounds, Bad Axe

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status.