In the Garden
As you observe your yard during this downtime, make notes on where you need to add something. If you haven’t already considered adding shrubs to your yard that provide interest in winter, your list will help when deciding what to plant come spring.
The Holly (Ilex) family is one genus, both deciduous and evergreen, that can provide colorful berries in red, yellow and orange. Not only do they make the winter landscape pop, they provide excellent food for the birds during the winter months.
The evergreen Pine (Pinus bungeana) has colorful bark to enjoy during winter.
The native Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) flowers when most other garden shrubs have finished their bloom. As brilliant yellow leaves drop in the fall, the branches become covered with small yellow flowers that sustain late season pollinators.
Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) is a handsome tree with scarlet foliage in autumn. This tree becomes distinctive and elegant with age, as its papery sheets of bark peel to reveal cinnamon-brown new bark.
Kousa Dogwood (Cornus Kousa) develops exfoliating patches of tan and brown bark, which adds to winter beauty when enhanced with layers of snow.
With the coming of winter, our thoughts turn from the garden to the house. If we turn to the inside, we have Christmas Cactus, Cyclamen and Poinsettias to give us color when it’s gray outside. There are several citrus (lemon, lime, and Calamondin orange) plants that smell heavenly during their bloom time in winter inside the house. You can bring them outside during the summer. You can purchase small citrus plants at Logee’s Greenhouses in Danielson.
Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs can provide heavily scented white flowers with very little work. Take a tall jar or vase, place stones in the bottom. Place your bulbs on top of the stones filling in as many as will fit but not touching. Add water to the bottom of the bulbs. Soon you will have flowers for weeks.
Of course, I can’t end without mentioning Amaryllis. These can be purchased very cheaply already placed in soil. Just add water and six weeks later you will have a flower or two. You can keep Amaryllis for years and years. Place the container outside in the summer. Water when needed. Bring them into your basement during winter. Repot when you see new growth. Water and you will have flowers again.
You can enjoy the pleasure of flowers, ornamental fruit and bark all 12 months of the year, outside and inside, with minimal effort!