Patience is a virtue every gardener must have, unless you planned in advance and then we can throw patience to the wind!
Thank you! To those who braved the streets and the snow to attend my Seminar last Saturday – 52 Weeks of Bloom & Color – You were all wonderful! & really great questions!! Hopefully we can keep the imagination inspired until warmer days arrive! Another winter favorite Bergenia or Pigsqueak – the names leaves a bit to the imagination – though comes from the fact the leaves of this plant strongly resemble a pigs ears. This time of year you may see them peeking out through the snow with a warm magenta hue – more than likely curled from the cold and could remind you of a piglet tucked warmly in the snow with only the round tips of his ears poking through – I find this plant is interesting and underutilized now and brings more joy when it unfolds and begins to bloom in late spring garden.
Since we are on the topic of animals we can jump right to the Hens and Chicks such as Red Beauty, Cobweb or a mix of var. which are also a great evergreen if you have them planted where you can experience them at close proximity. or possibly on a steep slope by the home or outside a window with a great vista – They will also bring added joy once the season of their bloom arrives – I believe this plant is very interesting and also underutilized or often forgotten as a nostalgic planting.
With all of the snow cover we have, a plant not to be missed would be the native Aronia Viking or Brilliantissima – these shrubs growing 6-8’ tall tend well to pruning, are very tolerant of our zone, of course being native – Offers a wonderful spring blossom – once pollinated turns into beautiful clusters of bright red or deep purple berries, (depending on the variety), and will hang onto these berries well into spring. Offering a great contrast to the snow – adding a little more color to the garden. The birds love them as well.
There are also many more evergreen ferns if you’re looking for some lower to moderate texture in the winter landscape such as: Dixie wood fern = semi-evergreen, Christmas Fern = evergreen and native to Eastern North America as well as The Alaskan Fern = evergreen which may tend to look a bit more tropical.
Finally, if we continue to look up with optimism and hope for what the next season will bring, we would notice that the Red Sunset Maple has her bright red buds set atop bright red stems – standing in the ready for that warm spring wind to blow. Just another example of how we are all eagerly waiting!
