It may still be the summertime, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start thinking about your winter landscape. In fact, this time of year is the perfect time to plant several unique species that can brighten up the cold winter days!
It’s important to start thinking about your winter landscape in the late weeks of summer and the early weeks of fall because by the time it’s already winter, it’ll be too cold to properly plant something in the frozen ground. Here are a few hardy winter blooms that will keep your home looking cozy and bright in the face of those freezing winter days.
Snowberry
The snowberry plant will grow almost anywhere, and can handle either dry or wet locales. Its leaves are oval, about 1 to 2 inches long, and turn a blue-green color in the fall. The fruit of this plant is completely white, hence the name – snowberry. The fruit will bloom in the late fall and stay throughout the winter, and serves as a food source for winter birds and small mammals. In warmer weather, these plants bloom with pink or white blossoms.
Rugosa Rose
Rugosa Rose is commonly known as Japanese Rose, and is a large, sprawling multi-branched rose bush. This plant bears fruit in late summer to early autumn, and the leaves turn a pretty yellow for the fall and winter season. After blooming, the large red hips of the flowers stay throughout the winter, providing color and food for local animals.
Japanese Pieris
The Japanese Pieris, according to Buckeye Turf at Ohio State University, is an evergreen shrub that grows upright and has an “ornament period” or blooming period in the late winter. This beautiful shrub will not only add greenery to your garden, it’ll add some pops of color, even if the grass is covered in snow.
Cassia Plant
The Cassia plant, also known as candlestick bush, has an evergreen foliage base and produces yellow flowers. The needles of the plant will remain green throughout the winter, though the flowers may only bloom in the spring. This hardy plant makes a good addition to any garden and will definitely weather the winter.
Winter Honeysuckle
According to Dave’s Garden, winter honeysuckle is a hardy plant that will thrive all year round if it’s cared for properly. The flowers of this pretty plant are white or off white, and typically bloom in late winter or early spring. Its pretty green leaves and white flowers will make a welcome addition to any flowerbed during the winter months.
Witch-Hazel
Witch-hazel doesn’t have a very appealing name, but is a hardy and slow growing plant that will do well in the colder months. (Its name comes from the Old English word for “bendable”.) The leaves are oval, with wavy teeth, and turn bright yellow to brown in the fall. The flowers on this plant bloom in yellow and are long-lasting and fragrant, often sticking around through late winter.
Winterberry
Winterberry, also known as northern holly, is a shrub with long, oval green leaves that turn dark brown in autumn. The blooms are white, but the striking scarlet fruit that grows in clusters at the end of the fall stick to the plant throughout the winter, offering winter wildlife food throughout the cold months.
These are just a few of the tons of options you have to spice up your winter garden – but don’t wait! Call Cold Stream Farm now at 231-464-5809 to see what’s available to be planted soon, before the winter sneaks up on us!
