Reevaluating the Landscape With Winter Eyes

Winter Interest

Reevaluating the Landscape With Winter Eyes

Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD

Even during the gray days of winter, we tend to see our landscapes as they were during the growing seasons rather than seeing them as they are now. It would behoove us, I think, to do two things: Look out the windows and see what attracts our attention; then, actually go outside into the gardens and look closely at what keeps them interesting.

In the first instance, some things will be close but others will be more distant. I know that when I look out one of my east windows, I immediately see the lacy green foliage of Thujopsis dolobrata ‘Nana’ that is planted in the bed just outside the window. This false arborvitae is a great four-season conifer that the deer never bother, stays reasonably small at four feet tall and wide (it’s been in my garden for at least twenty-five years with minimal pruning), and is very adaptable to a variety of soils and light conditions. There are two other cultivars, ‘Aurea’ and ‘Variegata’, that I have in other locations. Sadly, not enough nurseries are growing this wonderful plant.

Thujopsis dolobrata 'Nana'

When I look out the south-facing front windows, away from the house, what I mostly see during the winter are ornamental grasses like Panicum and Molinia that have been flattened by snow. However, Pennisetum does retain its mounding shape. The other exception is Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’. I planted this Maiden Grass long before we knew that this genus can be a problem with reseeding. I will say, however, that although my clumps have enlarged over the years, I never found any seedlings. Although snow may initially flatten this particular cultivar, as soon as the snow melts, the inflorescence stalks stand back up. Directly outside my west windows are Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’. Their attraction during the winter is exfoliating bark and retained large deadheads. Looking across the small lawn outside my north-facing windows, the main attractions are Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Shiva’, Thujopsis dolobrata ‘Aurea’, Juniperus chinensis ‘Eternal Gold’, and Picea abies 'Acrocona'.

The Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Shiva’ has extremely lacy foliage but needs annual pruning because it hasn’t read the catalog that said it would only grow five to eight feet all. Juniperus chinensis ‘Eternal Gold’ also needs to read the catalog. It would supposedly only grow three feet tall. Although late fall is not the recommended time for pruning conifers, I usually wait until November and then use the prunings in my winter containers.

The main attraction of the spruce is its unusual shape but I also love its pinky/purple cones in the Spring. The other eye-catcher to the north is Heptacodium miconioides with its pale, creamy, exfoliating bark.

Exfoliating bark of Hydrangea quercifolia

Back garden conifers left to right: Chamaecyparis thyoides 'Shiva', Thujopsis dolobrata 'Aurea', Juniperus chinensis 'Eternal Gold'

Many details of interest are lost until you actually go into the gardens. For instance, each day as I walk down the driveway for my daily walk, I pass my Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Shimanishiki’. Its architecture is that of an open, woody shrub but what I love the most are the large, stiff, distinctive seedheads. Even though it is sited in the southwest portion of my front garden, it has ignored the dictum that it would not thrive in a windy location.

The deadheads of Paeonia suffruticosa 'Shimanishiki' appear winged. Are they getting ready to fly away?

Another shrub that always catches my eye is Cephalanthus occidentalis ‘Moonlight Fantasy’ (aka ‘Magical Moonlight’). This cultivar of the native Buttonbush is slightly smaller than the species and adapts well to most garden sites, not just swampy ones. The sputnik-like white, summer flowers evolve into small brown spheres by winter and hang on until the plant refoliates in Spring.

Cephalanthus deadheads

My lavender plants edge part of the driveway and their silverygray foliage seems oblivious to cold and snow. As I walk past, I always hear a little voice reminding me that I will need to prune it once Spring arrives but I don’t enjoy that silver any less during this time when so much of the garden is dormant. Winter color doesn’t have to be green. It can be the bronze of Iris siberica foliage, the silver of Lavandula 'Hidcote', or the beige of Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' deadheads.

Scattered around the gardens are several cultivars of Helleborus. Those large, leathery green leaves always make me smile because I can envision how lovely the blooms will be once warmer temperatures spur them on. A little used evergreen groundcover is Campanula poscharkyana (Serbian Bellflower). It has tiny, scalloped foliage that is impervious to winter. When May comes, it will be covered with lilac-blue stars. Several years ago, I planted it in the two containers by my side door. With a mind of its own, it winters over in the containers but has also claimed some of the gravel bed below the containers so I see it almost every day.

A plethora of hellebores under an ancient crabapple.

All of this rambling is a reminder to take another look at your garden and your client’s gardens during the winter. Is there enough interest to lift spirits during the gray days? B

Bobbie may be contacted at bobbie@bgthumb.com. Photos courtesy of Bobbie Schwartz.