Winter Garden Looking Bare? Plant Evergreen Shrubs
Are you planting your landscape with all four seasons in mind? Too often, we focus all of our attention on planning and planting for spring, forgetting that a successful landscape also needs foliage and bloom interest during other times of the year. Come winter, when deciduous plants drop their leaves, you can be left with a pretty bare looking landscape. A great solution is to strategically place and plant evergreen shrubs to provide a backbone to your garden year-round.
Evergreen shrubs act as the anchors and backgrounds for the perennials, bulbs and seasonal color in your landscape. If you live in an area of the country where many of the shrubs and perennials go dormant in winter, then it’s your evergreen plants you’ll rely on to keep your landscape “green” off season.
When choosing evergreen shrubs, choose low maintenance varieties that will keep their shape with minimal pruning, and are tolerant to pests and diseases. If water regulations are an issue in your area, choosing low water usage plants is a smart choice. Waterwise plants should be able to thrive, once established, with only sparse supplemental watering.
Limited on space? For tighter spaces and smaller landscapes, consider Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Spire’. Its tall, narrow shape fits nicely in most urban landscapes where space is limited. You’ll be amazed at the impact such a well-behaved shrub can have in a smaller garden bed. They also perform well in containers so why not plant add them to entry ways or patios? Or, create an evergreen screen to offer privacy, reduce noise and improve views.
Another wonderful and unique evergreen shrub is Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’, Dwarf Bottlebrush. From summer through fall, you’ll get to enjoy its bright red bristled blooms. During winter months, your landscape will benefit from its attractive foliage. At only 6- to 8-feet tall at maturity, this evergreen plant is a good size for most urban landscapes. Dwarf bottlebrush are very easy to maintain with semi-regular waterings.
No matter your space, we have evergreen shrubs that will make your landscape shine year-round.
Featured January Plants
Hesperaloe parviflora
Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’
Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’
Rhaphiolepis indica ‘Pink Lady’
Eriobotyra x hybrida ‘Coppertone’
Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Spire’
Elaeocarpus decipiens
Callistemon viminalis ‘Little John’
Buxus microphylla japonica
Acacia redolens ‘Low Boy’
