Evergreens in the winter

Piney Garden Sanctuary

EVERGREENS in the winter landscape

When designing a garden bed or landscape, it’s important to consider what it’ll look like progressing from one season to the next, throughout the year. For example, look outside. Is your landscape dotted with a sturdy framework of evergreens? Or is it barren and dormant, void of much winter character and interest? If it’s the latter, never fear. Adding structural evergreen elements like trees and shrubs to your landscape can allow for year round interest that is offset by perennials and annuals during the warm part of the year, and still pleasing to look at when snow flies and chilling temperatures arrive.

Aside from having something to enjoy during the winter months, the reason evergreens are a critical part of most landscapes is that they provide bulk, weight and color to support the loose, bountiful perennials and swaying grasses which give our gardens the volume and movement that’s so important. Without these critical components, our gardens can look wild and unbalanced. Play with color and shape when selecting evergreens for your garden. Shining gold varieties like King’s Gold cypress or Gold Mop false cypress can really stand out against the emerald green of a Green Giant arborvitae or cool blue of a Globe Blue spruce.

If my arguments for garden aesthetics and design didn’t sway you, maybe the practical argument will. Evergreens, especially those like fir, juniper and pine trees, are perfect for creating privacy screens or blocking your line of sight to utility boxes. In a world where our lives are on display through constant Boxwood

communication and social media, feeling sheltered and undisturbed at home can be a welcome change.

Popular Varieties

When it comes to evergreen selection, there’s a wide variety of choices. I prefer to separate the options into two main categories: evergreen conifers and broadleaf evergreens.

Evergreen conifers include varieties like pine, juniper, fir, arborvitae, spruce, cedar and yew. Keep in mind that for these varieties, their shape is most apparent in the winter, so be sure to place them where their silhouette is best suited. Jocelyn Hall, nursery sales manager at Suburban Lawn & Garden’s Roe location says that junipers are one of her favorite and most recommended evergreens for the Kansas City area. For upright (tall) junipers, often used as a living privacy fence, Jocelyn recommends the following varieties: Canaerti, Keteleeri, Hetzi Columnar, Taylor, Perfecta, Iowa and Star Power. If a spreading type of juniper is on your “to buy” list, she recommends Old Gold, Daub’s Frosted, Grey Owl, Sea Green and Blue Rug.

If you favor the look of wide, green leaves over that of thin needles, consider broadleaf evergreens. These varieties have leaves that are broader (hence the name) than their conifer friends, and they hold onto these leaves during the winter, adding a consistent sign of life and color to your winter landscape. Plants in this category include boxwood, holly, rhododendron, euonymus and azalea, all of which do well in our climate. My favorite in this category is the boxwood because it’s a do-it-all, foundational shrub that thrives in sun to part shade conditions and serves a multitude of uses when it comes to garden design. Boxwood varieties recommended for the Kansas City area include wintergreen, green velvet and green mountain.

Winter Care for Evergreens

Once you have evergreens in your landscape, you can begin their winter care regimen by mulching, (especially any that are only a few years old) before the harsh winter sets in. This helps to retain moisture over the next few months. Decrease watering in late fall, but continue to water new trees and shrubs occasionally throughout the winter if we experience extended dry periods.

If we experience a large amount of heavy, wet snow that begins to weigh down the branches of your evergreens, prevent limbs from snapping under the weight by gently knocking the snow load off with a broom or rake.

If you notice your evergreens (especially boxwoods) are prone to bronzing in the winter, try applying an anti-transpirant or anti-dessicant like Wilt-Pruf or Wilt Stop in early winter. This seals in the moisture and helps to reduce the effects of our drying winter winds.

Winter is the perfect time to mull over garden redesigns and additions. Ask your local garden center for a list of evergreens they’ll have available come spring, and get to planning!

CHELSEA DIDDE RICE Gardening Enthusiast

When Chelsea isn’t at work as a senior communications specialist, she is an avid gardener who enjoys teaching people how easy it can be to garden. You may reach her at chelseadidde@gmail.com.

‘Old Gold’ Juniper