When winter arrives in Connecticut, we spend more time looking at the garden from inside the house. Once summer flowers and fall foliage disappear, the plants that provide structure, color and texture become the stars of the landscape.
With thoughtful plant choices, your garden can offer something beautiful to look at even during the coldest months. At Town & Country Nurseries in Haddam, CT, fall is a great time to look at your landscape and consider what might be missing from your winter view.
Start With Evergreens for Year-Round Structure
Evergreens provide an important foundation for a four-season landscape. Their foliage helps maintain color and structure when deciduous trees and shrubs have lost their leaves.
Use evergreens to frame a view, create a backdrop for other plants or provide visual interest near windows, patios and entrances.
Add Trees and Shrubs With Colorful Bark
Once the leaves fall, bark becomes much more noticeable.
Trees and shrubs with interesting bark or colorful stems can bring unexpected beauty to a Connecticut winter garden. Red and yellow twig dogwoods, for example, can provide bright stem color that stands out against snow and evergreens.
Interesting branching patterns can also become part of the winter landscape.
Look for Berries and Persistent Fruit
Berries and ornamental fruit can add welcome pops of color after flowers have faded.
Depending on the plant, colorful fruit may remain into fall or winter while also providing food for birds and other wildlife. Keep in mind that berry production can depend on the variety and, for some plants, having an appropriate pollinator nearby.
Don’t Forget Interesting Plant Forms
Winter is when the shape of a plant really gets noticed.
Ornamental grasses, sculptural shrubs, dried seed heads and trees with distinctive branching can add height, movement and texture to an otherwise quiet landscape.
Instead of cutting everything back in fall, consider leaving attractive grasses and healthy seed heads standing so you can enjoy them from indoors throughout winter.
Plan the View From Your Windows
Take a look outside from the rooms you use most during winter. What do you see?
A well-placed evergreen, colorful shrub or ornamental grass can completely change the view from a kitchen, living room or favorite chair. Designing the landscape from both the outside and inside can help create a garden that offers something to enjoy in every season.
Winter Landscape FAQs
What plants provide winter interest in Connecticut?
Evergreens, plants with colorful bark or stems, berry-producing shrubs, ornamental grasses and plants with interesting branching or seed heads can all contribute winter interest.
Should I include evergreens in my landscape?
Evergreens can provide year-round color and structure and make an excellent foundation for a four-season garden.
Can berries attract birds in winter?
Some berry-producing plants provide food for birds and other wildlife. Fruit availability varies by plant and growing conditions.
When is a good time to plan for winter interest?
Fall is an excellent time to evaluate your landscape because you can begin to see where color and structure will be missing once the leaves fall.
Visit Town & Country Nurseries
Want to create a landscape that looks beautiful beyond spring and summer? Visit Town & Country Nurseries in Haddam, Connecticut, and explore plants that can add color, structure and interest throughout the seasons.
Town & Country Nurseries
1036 Saybrook Road
Haddam, CT 06438
(860) 345-8581
Hours:
Monday through Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
Sunday: 9 AM to 4 PM
