Our recent burst of warmer weather here has had us noticing bulbs pushing their heads up from the ground as we travel about the area. While we would like to think that warmer temps are here to stay, realism tells us that we still have a few months to go until reliable warmer temperatures are truly with us again. Nevertheless, the re-emergence of a few of our spring friends has had us thinking of some of our favorite spring bulbs especially the Snowdrop. Snowdrops (Galanthus Nivalis) sport a tiny, bell shaped, lily of the valley like flower which cascade down from short (6″-10″) daffodil like stems. A welcome guest to the very early spring garden this little bulb is able to survive extended snowfalls adding beauty to the snow and waiting dormant for warmer weather to arrive. Plant Snowdrops in bare areas under trees and shrubs where their unexpected appearance can be noticed and enjoyed and which will be covered by the leafing out of those plants in spring as the foliage of the bulb begins to fade.

With winter weather upon us our thoughts may turn to a cup of coffee and a book by the fire while we dream of seed catalogues soon to arrive and planning for the garden in the spring, but while we are snug by the fire our plantings are toughing out the ice and snow in the great outdoors. With this in mind here are some quick tips on caring for those valuable specimens over the winter months to come.

Protecting those prize plantings of ours requires more than a layer of mulch prior to the lowering temps of winter and while that extra mulch you put down is important, other factors such as salt spray, harsh winds which dry out plantings, and heavy loads from snow and ice all take their toll throughout the season.

Snow and ice loads can be one of the most damaging events for your plantings with the excessive weight bending and breaking vulnerable specimens. Keep a broom or shovel at hand to gently push off accumulating snow loads and when inflexible ice loads cannot be pushed off a prop can be used to support vulnerable branches until the thaw.

While these methods are effective in the immediate, steps can be taken ahead of time to reduce or eliminate snow and ice damage by supporting vulnerable multi-stemmed plantings with twine or other cordage laced loosely throughout the vertical branching. This will give support to areas susceptible to breakage such as the crotch areas where branches connect without completely removing their natural flexibility. These measures can be used throughout the winter and then removed with the return of warmer temperatures in the spring. Another point important to remember during heavy snow is to watch where you shovel. That heavy snowfall is already stressing smaller plants and shrubs so don’t add to their burden by moving the snow off the walk and on to their backs. In addition to the damaging weight, salt and other de-icing chemicals can also be part of the mix which can also damage these vulnerable plantings.

Finally to combat winter wind, plan ahead. If possible keep vulnerable plantings away from predominantly south-westerly wind paths where damaging sunshine and harsh winter storms may be more predominant, but when this is not possible other steps can be taken such as creating a breathable barrier around the plant out of a material such as burlap which will slow the affects of damaging wind and reduce the amount of light reaching the plant over winter. Another weapon in your battle against winter weather is also to use a chemical sealer called an anti-dessicant which will inhibit the moisture loss and help your plants retain water not only during freezing temperatures but also during droughts and after transplantation.

In yesterday’s post we discussed adding winter interest to the landscape with deciduous plantings that exhibit various traits that provide interest to the stark and subtle beauty of winter. As we mentioned, some of these traits are unusual branching, winter fruit, or colorful exfoliating bark. It’s this last that I want to focus on today. While hardly a comprehensive list, three of our favorite performers with beautiful bark would be:

Stewartia

The Stewartia (Pseudocamellia) is perhaps the best of the ornamental trees. A medium size ornamental reaching heights of 25′-30′ and a width of 20′ the Stewartia is a beauty in the landscape year round with its camellia-esque flowers in summer, fiery yellow and red leaves in fall, and distinctive branching and peeling, contrasting bark in winter. While beautiful throughout the year the Stewartia could be grown for its winter qualities alone. One of our absolute favorites, plant Stewartia as an accent to a patio area, entry feature, or any other space where the specimen type beauty of this tree can be enjoyed year round.

River Birch

The River Birch (Betula Nigra) is a rapid growing single or multi stemmed tree native to the eastern United States. From the shrub-like “Summer Cascades” variety to the species variety which reaches heights of 80′  the River Birch makes an excellent planting for urban or wet environments and is able to tolerate our warmer south-eastern climes better than its relative the Paper Birch. The River Birch exhibits a broad pyramidal canopy of small lustrous green leaves in summer and has papery exfoliating bark in colors of cinnamon, gray, and creamy white year round which is accentuated even further when the leaves fall in winter.

Crape Myrtle

The Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia Indica) is a family of large shrubs and small trees reaching heights and widths ranging from 8′-25′ and widely grown for its large panicles (6″-8″) of lilac like fowers which come in a wide variety of colors from whites to pinks and reds to luscious violets and deeper shades of purple. The late season flowering of the Crape Myrtle makes it an excellent addition to the late summer and fall garden but when the flowers fade and the leaves fall it is not to be forgotten as the exfoliating gray and brown bark gives visual appeal to the graceful limbs of this tree.

While many of us prefer evergreens for their all season color (and we do too!) you may have noticed that as we continue to discuss some of our favorite plants for winter interest we have yet to mention an evergreen planting. While evergreens provide the structure of your garden it is important not to dismiss or overlook what deciduous plants can add to the winter landscape through such features as colorful or exfoliating bark, unusual or attractive branching patterns, or winter fruit that adds a burst of life to winter’s stark beauty.

A planting that we love for winter fruit is the Winterberry Holly (Ilex Verticillata). As with most plant materials the Winterberry Holly is available is many different sizes from the compact “Red Sprite” growing 4′x4′ to the species variety which reaches upwards of 15′ in height and width. Unlike most hollies with which you may be familiar the Winterberry Holly is deciduous, which for this plant is a plus as all the attention of winter is turned to the bountiful crop of beautiful red berries. A dioecious plant, place at least one male plant in the center of a grouping of females which will bear the winter fruit.

If bird watching is your passion the Winterberry Holly will attract songbirds and other small animals to your property as the fruit also provides an emergency food source to such animals over the winter. And for those who enjoy winter crafts the berry laden branches are invaluable for wreaths, floral arrangements, and other decorative elements.

Another of our favorite plants for the winter landscape is the Nandina or Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina Domestica). From the species variety which reaches heights of 5′-6′ to dwarf varieties growing only 18″-24″ Nandina can be grown in almost any area of the garden but are especially effective in a shrub border, grown as a container planting, or in an informal hedge. While not confined only to the winter landscape the Nandina’s airy vase-like form with its small cream edged green and red leaves and large grape-like clusters of berries give life to the winter landscape while other leafy shrubs wait for warmer weather.

We just returned from a trip to northern Wisconsin over the holidays and the winter weather has left us invigorated and thinking of some of our favorite plants for the winter landscape. One of the plants we love for winter interest is the Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus Sericea). While most of us are familiar with the graceful flowering tree form Dogwoods, this multi-stemmed shrub form Dogwood only grows approximately 6′H x 6′W. Valuable as a wetland planting or as a specimen in a moist, naturalized woodland setting the Red Osier Dogwood comes into its own in winter when it sheds its leaves and reveals its brilliant red stems against a snowy backdrop.