A Brief Winter Wonderland

It was brisk today and we had a "mini-blizzard" between 1 pm and 2 pm. It's blue skies and sunny right now at 3 pm.

Nice shot of a weeping spruce (Picea abies 'Pendula') to the left with a heavy crop of cones. I sure like interesting forms of conifers as they become the "eye candy" in our winter landscapes.

Marv, Terry, Marianne, Larry and I worked on the lights all day. We are on track to be done this Wednesday. We did turn on the power today and as usual, have some "bugs" to work out. Jerry worked on pruning more shrubs and small trees while Bill and some Grumpies worked on collecting debris. Rick and Tony did a nice job cleaning up our east parking lot and worked on clearing European buckthorn (both lost blood in their battles with this foe). Most Grumpy work will now shift inside to bench resealing and miscellaneous carpentry. See below for my article on the value of conifers in the landscape.

The landscape is now becoming starker as winter digs in and snow starts to accumulate. Our gardens are biding their time until active growth can resume with warmer soil temperatures and spring rains. Now is a great time to enjoy conifers in the garden or locate those spots that can use a structural element, focal point and/or a “splash” of color. Conifers are considered the “bones” of the garden and should be in place before other elements are added. They are the perfect “foil” for perennials and annuals during the summer and they take center stage during the winter months.

Conifers are usually evergreen trees and shrubs where the leaves are in the form of needles. The larch (or tamarack) is an example of a deciduous conifer that loses its needles in fall. We are all familiar with pines, junipers, spruces and yews as they are commonly found throughout our neighborhoods and parks. Conifer means “cone bearer” and the contribution of these trees and shrubs to the winter landscape in terms of structure is quite apparent.

Conifers have been planted around the foundations of many homes as they visually “anchor” the home to the surrounding yard. However, a very narrow palette of conifers has traditionally been used for this purpose and lack of maintenance has created many overgrown situations where these plants are more of a nuisance than an asset. Understanding the growth and maintenance requirements of individual conifers as well as their mature size, will help in the selection of appropriate varieties.

Conifers are also used around the yard and when placed appropriately, can form an effective wind screen, blocking winter winds and snow from hitting the home directly (thereby reducing winter heating costs). Conifers come in all shapes and sizes and typically a different form can be found of a desirable shrub or tree. For instance, the white pine, which can attain a mammoth size, does not lend itself to the smaller home landscape. However, it can be found in varieties that include dwarf, upright, weeping, golden, etc. Interesting forms of conifers will give you four seasons of interest and can become an important visual element in the landscape. Research the availability of conifer varieties to help in your selection process. Variability, availability and affordability has all improved as the smaller home landscape is considered and conifers proportional to that landscape become more readily available. Conifers are also wonderful for wildlife habitat, providing shelter and in some cases, a reliable food source in the scarce winter months. As a general rule of thumb, native conifers are preferred by our native wildlife.

Most conifers come in shades of green, but other colors exist and when combined in the landscape, this color becomes important in the “year-round” composition of the home landscape. It is important to note that green is a wonderful winter foil for ornamental grasses and other garden elements. The dark green silhouette of a conifer in winter can be quite striking, particularly when accentuated with a dusting of snow. However, colors such as gold, yellow, blue, white, silver and maroon can all be found in the winter landscape provided by conifers. These colors will come into the forefront of the winter landscape and can also be important in the summer composition. Consider all assets of the plant prior to purchase and installation. Visualize the contribution of these conifers year-round but don’t forget their winter value with form, texture and color.

Take winter walks around the neighborhood as well as area botanic gardens to locate some wonderful evergreens that are “stealing the show” right now. Create or enhance your fourth season of interest by planning now for the addition of conifers to your landscape.