ILCA Winter Showcase

from The Landscape Contractor magazine DEC.22 Digital Edition

iLandscape Education for 2022

’Tis the Season for Winter Interest

by Nina A. Koziol

Editor’s note: Thank you to everyone who responded to the ILCA Members Only Facebook page request for images of your winter containers. We were overwhelmed with incredible photos. Here’s a sample to inspire you.

We’re heading into that time of year when daylight dwindles and days can be overcast, even gloomy. But there’s nothing somber about winter containers that pop with color. They’re downright delightful — even long after the holidays are over. Great winter containers rely on color, texture and form from evergreen branches, twigs, and dried and artificial materials.

“When designing a winter container, we incorporate lots of different textures and use greens that will last a relatively long time,” says Malena Rogers, co-owner of JR’s Landscape Services, Inc., in Groveland, IL. “We want our containers to have dimension, depth, and height while also adding color.” Berries, red-twig dogwood stems and white birch logs are some of her favorites.

Kim Boyle, project manager at Stuber Land Design in Tremont, IL., does three-season containers for residential and commercial clients. “This winter is somewhat of a challenge since greenery —the availability, variety and price increases— are making us think out of the box. I am constantly looking at what is out in nature to see what will hold up or can be spraypainted to the color schemes we need.

Kate Nelson, design build assistant at Greenhaven Landscapes, Inc., in Lake Bluff, uses miniature lights to make some container designs really pop at night—an effective, inviting display during dark winter months. For a deluxe Chicago-style bungalow, Chad Osborn, horticulture manager and sales liaison at Greenwise in Skokie, used birch logs, winterberries, artificial fruits and dried mgnolia leaves with an assortment of evergreens in planters flanking the front door.

Design Tips

“My goal is to provide our clients with quality materials that hold their color well into the season,” says Kelly Girup of Wheaton Garden Works in Wheaton, IL. “Our aesthetic is very garden-themed, so I try to stay true to our brand. However, it’s so important to listen to your client’s requests. We have a wide range of client expectations.” She takes into (continued on page 34) Greenhaven Landscapes

Greenhaven Landscapes Bret-Mar Landscaping

(continued from page 32) consideration the size, shape, and location of the pot. “A low, squatty container calls for a rounder, more mounded arrangement than a tall, slender container. Something with a more vertical profile usually requires height in the arrangement for a sense of balance.”

Boyle looks beyond live greens and twigs. “We do add artificial craft pieces, bows and accents that are holiday-themed, that can be easily removed for the remainder of the winter,” she says. “Some customers like a theme like blue and white, or blue and silver. The trick is to keep it simple, and not overdo the accents.”

“We love to use various greens for different colors and textures, along with red-twig dogwood and winterberry for those who like that pop of red,” says Lisa Fiore, vice president of operations at Don Fiore Co., in Lake Bluff. “If red isn’t their thing, we also work with birch branches, curly willow, eucalyptus and yellow dogwood.”

Some designers use anti-desiccant products like Wilt-Pruf to keep evergreen branches from drying out during winter. “You can use sprays, but ultimately I think it just depends on how harsh the winter is,” Fiore says.

Girup likes using eucalyptus and blue cedar branches for soft color. “I like to keep as much of a botanical aesthetic as possible, incorporating all natural elements that mirror the winter seasonality of a garden. However, we do have a few clients that have very specific holiday color palettes, which makes it a little more challenging. Purple and gold was a tough one for us last year, but we were able to source some really nice faux purple berries and also included purple artichokes.”

Window Boxes

Matt Dingledein of Matt Dingeldein & Co., in Naperville does seasonal containers for both commercial and residential clients. His window box designs feature sumptuous evergreen roping tied into wreaths that hang from the front panels. Branches of winterberry and upright twigs create vertical interest.

“Window boxes can be fun and different, because they are a flat creation mostly seen from one angle,” Boyle says. “I will be toying with grapevine wreaths and some lighting for one this year.” For Fiore, a window box design starts in the center back with the tallest elements and then she fans greenery downward to create a cascade. “You can also use the same accents as you do in planters. They (continued on page 36)

(continued from page 34) may be pruned differently to fit the height and scale needed for the box,” she says.

Girup designs and plants all containers on site. “When I’m installing any seasonal color arrangement, I take a step back mid-design and really contemplate the direction the design is heading. I feel like our time, patience and creativity really shows in our work.”

Have fun with your designs, Fiore says, but don’t overdo it. “Don’t add so much variety that there is no structure or balance to the planter,” she says. “Simplicity with a few mixed greens and just the right number of accents is the way to go. The great thing is that what you do this winter doesn’t have to be the same look next winter.”