When frost finishes off your summer flowers, and bare deciduous trees stand against grey skies, the true champions of the garden come into view. Not like the showy types that demand attention in May, these are the reliable performers that pay off when all else gives up.
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Check PriceSavvy gardeners understand that winter is when gardens really shine. Instead of watching landscapers like their neighbors who spent thousands on plants that die and disappear for four months, you can enjoy the beauty of living sculptures that withstand the cold and look better than ever!
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The key is not simply planting anything evergreen, but planting types that not only survive winter, but that rejoice in it.
Boxwood: Dream of the Architect
Boxwood shrubs are great structural elements in gardens due to their versatility and resilience to blades of winter, summer snow, and freezing rain, which would kill other varieties. Boxwood are hardy shrubs, but selecting the appropriate cultivar is key. The 'Wintergreen' and 'Green Velvet' cultivars, for example, actually develop a more vibrant and rich color during the colder months, unlike more sensitive cultivars which turn bronze and appear to be stressed.
Want the structure but not the drama? Boxwoods are your best bet! They're like living fence posts but better. With boxwoods, you'll never need to replace them.
Holly: Holiday Decorator from Nature
Hollies provide more than just leaves during winter like most shrubs. Their evergreen glossy leaves are the perfect backdrop to their red berries. These berries feed more than 40 species of birds during the winter. To have berries on a female plant, a male plant must be nearby so for the most impact, plant both.
'Christmas Jewel' and 'Blue Princess' variations yield the most consistent and reliable snowberry production and cold weather resistance.
Rhododendron: The Beautiful Broadleaf
Many people believe that rhododendrons only flower in spring, but they actually perform just as impressively in winter. These broadleaf evergreens create impressive visual weight in the winter landscape. In addition, numerous varieties develop burgundy or bronzed tints in winter that provide added warmth in the cold season garden.
To keep rhododendrons happy, give morning sun with afternoon shade and maintain acidic, well-draining, yet consistently moist soil.
Mountain Laurel: An Overlooked Champion
Mountain laurel has all the best qualities of rhododendrons and hollies, having glossy, evergreen leaves that stay looking fresh all winter, and beautiful flowers in the spring. The leathery leaves also shed snow on their own, which helps avoid the branch breakage that is a problem with other broadleaf evergreens.
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Mountain laurel is found in Eastern North America and does well in tough conditions that would kill imported evergreens.
Yew: The Indestructible Survivor
Yews have the ability to withstand and ‘shrug off’ significant amounts of abuse. They survive deep shade that other evergreen species cannot endure, and they can tolerate repeated and heavy pruning for many centuries. Their dark green foliage provides wonderful contrast against the white of the snow, and they provide excellent shelter for birds that will winter over in their dense branches.
Select upright types for screens such as 'Hicksii' and spreading types as 'Tauntonii' for foundation plantings which will never outgrow their space.
Juniper: The Flexible Workhorse
No other evergreen genus provides more possibilities. Groundcover junipers spread low and wide while upright types create living columns. Their landscape uses are versatile. Needle colors include silver-blue, gold, deep green, and many develop purple or bronze tints in cold weather.
While bringing color to the dull grays of winter days, Blue Star and Gold Star remain compact.
Pieris: Ein Winterinteresse
Frosted miniature ornaments blossom along with flower buds with an elegant texture. Located at the terminal ends of branches, the buds remain fully visible, providing an engaging winter focal point! Also, the shrub displays Brunette new growth in lieu of the old grayish foliage.
These shrubs that like acidic conditions will be ideal companions as they need the same growing conditions as rhododendrons and azaleas.
Camellia: Den mest eventyrlystne bloomer
Most evergreens take the spotlight with their interesting leaves, but camellias go the extra mile and actually have flowers during the most dreary part of winter. The leaves on camellias are shiny, and they can withstand both snow and ice. When nothing dares to bloom, snow and ice can't touch their large flowers. These flowers open from deep pink buds and are the first of the season.
April Dawn and Winter's Hope are good options for dependable cold weather performance and for protection against late frosts.
Oregon Grape: The Multitasker of the West
Oregon grape does triple duty! The foliage is evergreen and provides structure throughout the year. The yellow flowers in spring feed early pollinators. Then the purple berries feed wildlife in the fall and winter! The spiky leaves show texture where smooth leaved evergreens lack some. Plus, the spikes can deter foot traffic.
This native shrub does well in tough locations where non-native evergreens don’t succeed. It is ideal for dry shade areas and difficult slopes.
The combination of these evergreens will create an excellent winter garden. Use tall hollies and yews as the backbones, medium rhododendrons and camellias for seasonal interest, and low-growing junipers and boxwood to define spaces. Group plants in odd numbers and layer different textures, which will enhance the depth of the garden when deciduous plants go dormant.
Your winter garden can be full of life! With the right evergreens, winter can be the most stunning season!
