Winter Interest in the Garden. Does yours have it?

Let's face it, when it's been 2 or 3 months since the first freeze and all your perennials and grasses are brown, shriveled up, and damaged by snow(or worse yet you don't have any!), it's easy to just ignore your gardens and wait it out until warmer weather arrives. Although many winter gardens may appear to be dormant and uninteresting, it needn't be this way. With a little research and planning, you can find plants that will spruce up your gardens in the winter. It's been a nippy winter here along the front range, but hey, we're lucky 'cause we get lots of sunny days to get out and enjoy the outdoors.

Today was one of those days, so I took some time to see what was still looking good in my yard after weeks of sub-freezing temps. Here are a few of the things I found that you might want to consider for your own gardens:\ 
Giant Sacaton Grass(Sporobolus Wrightii)-at left
This southwestern native and Plant Select winner tends to hold up well throughout the winter. I especially like the wispy flowerheads and how they catch the low-lying sun. This specimen is not mature yet, so in subsequent years it will have an even fuller look.

Pineleaf Penstemon(below right) A smaller perennial  true to its namesake
which contains pine-like foliage that stays a bright green through the
winter(this plant can be deadheaded to keep it looking good. This is the yellow(mersea) variety. The standard red and orange varieties turn a deep red-green in the winter. Be sure to mass plant this little gem. It will flower
the first year.

 

Grey Santolina(aka Lavender Cotton)-above has year round grey fragrant foliage with yellow button flowers in the summer. But I like this plant exclusively for the foliage. It looks best when it is cut back to the ground

each spring to keep it compact andthe

dead flower heads are removed in

late summer.

 
Sulpher flower or buckwheat(Eriogonum
Umbellatum) to left is a plant with fleshy foliage that turns a beautful deep red in the winter. 




In future posts we'll explore some additional plants that will make your winter garden a more exciting place.