Winter can be challenging for landscaping or gardening in Calgary, as cold temperatures, dry air, and snow can take a toll on plants and outdoor spaces. As trees lose their foliage and grass turns dormant, your garden loses its appeal and turns low-spirited and uninviting.
But did you know that with some planning and effort, you can create a beautiful and functional winter landscape that will add value and enjoyment to your home? Yes, that’s true! With some care and attention, you can rejuvenate your winter garden and make your festive season more special.
Follow these winter landscaping ideas to add vivid colours, focal points, and comfortable seating areas to your garden.
Add Plants With Berries
Planting shrubs with bright berries is a great way to get your winter garden glowing. Those sweet, irresistible treats attract birds to your garden and offer you a lovely sight.
The Christmas-season classic—Hollies—retain berries through to winter. Among other berry-bearing plants, picking blackthorn, rowan, or cotoneaster is a good idea.
You may also want to plant Callicarpa (also known as beautyberry) and leverage purple wild berries to light up your garden.
Make The Most of Barks
You can’t stop your trees from shedding leaves in winter, but you can use their bark to your advantage.
Common dogwood is an excellent ornamental shrub to line the back of your garden’s borders. Its delicate stems beautifully reflect hot-hued tones of zingy yellows and oranges.
If you’re looking for deep red or purple-black, go for white dogwood.
That said, trees with thicker barks also have their distinctive appeal. They add a rustic touch to your garden’s landscape and look well-attuned to the holiday season.
Get Evergreens
Evergreen plants and trees retain their leaves year-round, making them ideal for winter.
However, many evergreens are still vulnerable during the colder months, including boxwood, escallonia, and Griselinia. Contrarily, spruce, pine, and junipers are much more tolerant of harsh winter conditions.
You can go beyond the usual green and plant dwarf blue spruce, evergreen azaleas, and photinias to relish blue, yellow, and red shades.
Plant Ornamental Grass
Ornamental grass adds an all-around character to your winter garden. Moreover, it provides privacy, stabilizes your soil, and makes a low-maintenance addition.
Ornamental grass forms a spectacle by spreading out well and swaying in the breeze. With a layer of frost on top, it makes your garden look out of this world.
For example, you can enclose a pathway or create separate zones with ornamental grass. It will make your garden look visually appealing.
Install All-Weather Deck
Most of us spend time indoors during winter, but at times, we all feel that urge to go outside to get some fresh air. Plus, the change in weather doesn’t stop kids from having playtime.
Decking is quick and easy to install. It offers a nice spot to relax and enjoy the festive aura. However, ice formation on the regular timber and composite decking can make it slippery and dangerous.
Make sure to get your landscape supplies and install a non-slip decking. Its anti-slip components will ensure outdoor winter fun without compromising your safety.
Add Form With Hardscaping
Features like stone walls, a pebble/cement walkway, or a flagstone pathway would add focal points to your garden. Besides, with its texture and form, hardscaping immediately adds a striking contrast to your flowers and foliage.
You could use gravel or pebble to make a stylish seating area for your guests. Add a fire pit, encircle it with a nice and cozy sofa set, and you have a perfectly alluring arrangement.
