By: Matthew Hick
As a gardener, you happily enjoyed a spring, summer, and fall filled with a harvest of flowers, vegetables, fruits, spices, trees, and shrubs. But as the winder winds have started to roll in, you find yourself putting away your gloves and your tools. Before you say goodbye to gardening for the winter months, however, there is a world of winter gardening that you should consider! You may be surprised at how many plants flourish during the wintertime. You may find that winter gardening is the hobby for you.
While it is true many annuals and different plants can’t stand the harsh weather that winter brings, there are many hardy plants and flowers that can make it through a hot summer and cooler winter. By planting accordingly, something will always be in bloom. And let’s not forget there are certain vegetables, which can be grown in the summer, as well as, the winter.
By carefully placing some trees, shrubs, garden ornaments and stoned pathways with borders, through your yard, you will have created a place which will spark color and design for both summer and winter. Choose deciduous trees and shrubs for interest all year. They not only have beautiful flowers in summer and lovely foliage, but they also provide interesting bark designs, as well as, striking stem colors, fragrances and tall branches year round. These are all interesting backdrops for the winter snow or the summer’s greenery. Evergreens are always a good choice, as their greens stay constant year round. Another option is the red twig dogwood. These display beautiful white flowers in summer and have stunning red twigs all year.
Ground cover is another option for summer/winter gardening. There are many ornamental ground covers available to choose from. The Ajuga, a hardy perennial and bugleweed, displays blue flowers in early summer amidst its beautiful purple/green foliage, which will last through the winter. English ivy is another popular ground covering which grows well anywhere and anytime.
You may even choose to go with scented plants. The Daphne shrub has a potent perfume aroma you will enjoy through all seasons. It will produce either pink or white flowers in early winter and sometime yellow berries in hot, dry summers. The winter honeysuckle also provides a pleasing scent and flowers cream-colored blossoms against its beautiful greenery, in late winter.
Rhododendrons are wonderful bushes and some varieties bloom year round. There are even certain types of hardy hibiscus, which have been known to blossom each season.
You can also include certain vegetables, which can grow in warm and cold weather. Among them are broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, peas and summer/winter squash. They will need little or no protection and will thrive in well-drained soils.
Winter doesn’t have to be the end of your gardening display. By choosing a mix of trees, shrubs, plants and vegetables, you will have color and warmness in your yard all year. These will provide an inviting scene, which will make you want to come outside to enjoy in all types of weather.
