Even in winter, the garden can look fabulously beautiful. It’s not just coniferous plants that give it an impressive look—the choice is much wider.
What plants look beautiful in the garden in winter?
Most often, coniferous plants are planted to decorate the garden in winter. Arborvitae, junipers, evergreen rhododendrons, and yews look beautiful. However, you should not give them preference if you want to enjoy a luxurious and blooming garden in the summer.
In winter, plants with topiary pruning, including hedges, also look spectacular. For example, the so-called “cloud pruning” is popular, giving plants the shape of clouds rather than strict geometric lines.
It is recommended to trim hydrangea inflorescences only in spring.
Perennials that retain stems should not be cut back in the fall. Cereals look beautiful in frost and snow – it is better to leave them until spring. Plants with an unstable structure, such as hostas, should be removed in the fall. Astilbe, basil, and echinacea retain their shape well.
The shoots of the ‘Sibirica’ variety with red bark look especially bright. In the fall, they can be trimmed lightly and the branches can be used as decoration in empty areas of flower beds where summer flowers grew. Expressive bark is noticeable on leafless Himalayan birch and Poppy bird cherry.
In winter, large shrubs look beautiful: serviceberry Lamarck, jasmine, spirea, cotoneaster. Trees with an expressive crown and original branch graphics look impressive, such as vinegar tree, hazel ‘Contorta’, deciduous rhododendrons, and winged euonymus.
Do you need to shake snow off branches?
Snow on the branches of trees and shrubs looks beautiful and protects plants from frost. However, its quantity must be controlled. While the snow is dry and light, there is no need to touch the plants, especially in frost when they become fragile.
If there is too much snow, the branches begin to sag. During the thaw period, the snow becomes heavy due to the formation of ice, then it must be shaken off by gently tapping the branches with a rake.
If the snow is not removed, the tree crowns can be seriously damaged: for example, thuja branches in hedges can bend, and the curly haircut, for example, in the form of balls, can be disrupted.
Is it possible to throw snow on flower beds and plants?
If the soil is frozen and the snow is loose, an extra layer in beds with roses and perennials will be helpful. It is believed that every centimeter of snow reduces frost by one degree. However, if the soil is not frozen, plants under the snow may begin to rot.
It is not recommended to create too large snowdrifts in flower beds, especially if children are running around them.
If ornamental shrubs or evergreens are planted along the paths, you should not throw large amounts of snow on them. It is better to leave a lawn or flower beds with perennials near the paths, for which snow is not so harmful.
Which plants are at risk in winter?
You cannot be completely sure that the plants will successfully overwinter. There are years when even those plants from which this was not expected freeze out. In addition, the microclimate in each garden is different, and plants that grow well in one place may not do well in another.
It is especially important to provide good space and shelter (especially in the early years) for magnolias and cherry blossoms.
Fashionable shrubs such as boxwood require additional care. Boxwood balls, popular in foreign gardens, need to be protected from sunburn and heavy snow. For those who do not want to deal with such care, it is better to choose plants with easier pruning, for example, currants.
During frosts, spring bulbs, especially crocuses, are at risk. They can be saved by adding snow or peat. Evergreens that suffer from sunburn are also at risk. In order for them to winter well, they need to be watered abundantly in the fall.
Is it worth covering plants, and what is the best way to do it?
Sunburn causes severe damage to evergreen plants in the second half of winter and spring.
If you want to keep conifers and rhododendrons in perfect condition, they need to be shaded. The simplest material is white agrofibre (dense or in several layers). You can sew bags for shelter, but such “mummies” will look dubious in the garden.
A more aesthetic option is a shelter made of branches or reed mats. However, this requires additional costs and effort. It is necessary to cover before the soil freezes so that the shelter can be secured.
If you don’t have the time or desire to cover your plants, you can replace evergreens with deciduous ones.
Source: www.gorod.lv
