Evergreens
Winter Gardening Secrets - Learning About Evergreens
For those of us who live up where winter seems to last forever, having a winter garden can be a great way to bring a little gardening cheer into our lives and the lives of those around us. In the winter regions, trees are barren 6-8 months out of the year, and a thick layer of snow is constantly present. Beauty and variety is not only found in colors, but also in shape, shades, texture, and type. Green is not the only color that Evergreens come in, there’s blue-green, purplish, blue-grey, greenish yellow, copper, gold, bronze or brown. Green can be bright, or dark, dull, or vivid - shades provide brand new colors for you to work with in your winter garden. Round, broad leaves and long, thin needles provide a contrast in shape that will give your garden brand new scenery. Some leaves are softer and give a gentle look; others are harder and give a deeper view. Varying sizes help to space your winter theme into more than a regular garden.
Before choosing which evergreens to plant in your garden, think of the amount of snow you get and what type it is. If snow falls light, fluffy, and not in large doses, smaller evergreens and bulbs can be planted; however, if the snow comes in large amounts, bulbs and small evergreens will be covered and out of site for months. Also remember, with wet and heavy snow, a lot of breaking may occur and crush some of your smaller evergreens as well. All of these reminders are extremely important when deciding how to plant for your winter garden.
Evergreen Protection Tip
Something to note when planting evergreens, is the number of deer in your area. Deer are strongly attracted to some evergreens, especially in snowy winters when other foods are limited. Fencing your garden, putting bird net over individual plants, spraying plants with a repellent, and leaving a dog outside day and night will lessen your chances of young shrubs being stripped. However, if the deer population is high in your area, it is a good idea to choose which to plant according to that.
Deer will strip the foliage from plants such as yews, arborvitae, azaleas, rhododendrons, and the winter creeper. They will also nibble on junipers, false cypresses, mountain laurel, spruces, hollies, pines, boxwoods, Oregon and holly grape, and andromeda depending on how hungry they’re.
Broadleaf Evergreen Protection from Winter
Broadleaf evergreens need winter protection too, even though they are ‘hardy’ to cold temperatures. Dry winds and bright sun in the winter can put too much stress on these winter growing shrubs. When the ground freezes, roots beneath the earth can’t get water into the plant, therefore causing the roots, leaves, and even twigs to die. This will cause bareness for a few months before new growth appears, and it will weaken the plant.
Sudden temperature changes can harm the plant as well. To avoid this, plant evergreens on the north or east side of a building, because the south and west sides are much warmer in the day and then drop dramatically at night fall.
It is also a good idea to plant shrubs under deciduous trees. In this way the trees bare limbs will cast enough shade over the plant to prevent winter sunburn. Planting a windbreak or building a fence is a wise thing to do, providing protection for your garden from winter winds.
Spray your evergreen shrubs with an anti-transpirant such as Wiltpruf; follow the directions on the label.
Also note that if rainfall is insufficient, remember to water enough to thoroughly soak the soil around each shrub before the ground freezes. Water as it freezes provides heat to your shrub.
Semi-Evergreen Herbs
Cold weather diminishes their fragrance and flavour, but several herbs can hold their leaves at least partway into the winter. Parsley will stay green and good throughout the fall. Herbs such as lavender, germander, garden sage, and thyme will stand up through several hard frosts or early snows before they freeze or are flattened. In the fall, if you cut away the old stalks, usually a new tuft of foliage will have grown at the base of herbs such as yarrow, horehound, lemon balm, calamint, catmint and oregano. The basal foliage will last all winter long, and will be ready to resume growth in early spring. Chives however, disappear in winter but it is one of the first herbs you can pick in the spring.
Evergreens are perfect for the winter, plant them and watch as they grow into a beautiful winter garden.
Winter Garden Groundcovers - Low Growing Evergreens
Selecting the right plants for your winter garden is a critical part of its success. The last thing you would wanna do is buy a bunch of beautiful flowers only to find out that about all they will do in winter is look dead. Instead, it’s important to plan out and prepare your winter garden in advance. Groundcovers can be a great way to give your winter garden character and a strong look of healthiness, no matter what the weather is like outside. Low growing evergreens are a popular choice for effective winter garden ground cover and today we are going to learn more about them.
Why Ground Growing Evergreens?
Ferns, perennials, and small shrubs have one thing in common: evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. They have many uses with their beauty and endurance in cold winters. However, because they are low to the ground, they may be hidden by thicker snows, their beauty disguised until thawed. These plants are best used as ground covers, in permanent outdoor planters, mixed beds or borders, and along the edges of paths and walkways. Ground growing evergreens are also a good way to take up space, or accent a larger plant in your garden. It’s a good idea to alternate with ground growers and taller plants because of their tendency to be hidden in thick snowy winters.
Let’s take a look at some great ground cover choices for your winter garden and, really, a good looking garden year-round.
Low-Growing Evergreens for Your Garden
Ajuga/Bugle Weed - Ajuga Reptans
Semi-evergreen foliage, this perennial has glossy leaves and very showy flower like spikes that grow in the late spring. There are many variations of the Bugle Weed, their differences in leaf color, leaf size, leaf textures, habit, and flower caller, but all types prefer moist, well drained soil with part shade.
Bearberry/Kinnikinnick - Arctostaphylo Uva-Ursi
Evergreen foliage, this plant is an excellent ground cover, its woody stems and small round, leathery leaves, bright green in color during summer and turning maroon or bronze in the winter months. It has red berries in autumn and small pinkish flowers during the spring time. Bearberry needs well drained soil and does well on slopes or raised planters; full or part sun is necessary.
Bog Rosemary - Andromeda Polifolia
Evergreen foliage, this shrub has slender leaves, grey-green in color during the summer, they turn a purple in winter and clusters of small white or pale pink flowers bloom in the spring. The plant requires moist, cool acidic soil amended with plenty of peat moss. In dry spells, it is best to water Bog Rosemary once a week to prevent dehydration.
European Wild Ginger - Asarum Europaeum
Wild Ginger is an evergreen perennial with glossy heart-shaped leaves. It will grow to be 4-6 inches tall and spreads slowly forming a mat 1 to 3 feet wide. Part or full shade, the plant needs rich, moist well drained soil.
Heather - Calluna Vulgaris
With evergreen foliage, this small shrub has wiry stems and very tiny leaves. Heather is another with many variations differing in growth habit, they can spread along the ground as a mat or grow in an upright position; foliage color, light or dark green, gold, grey, in the summer, and in the winter reach colors of green, grey, gold, red, purplish or bronze; flower time, usually July to November; and flower color, lilac white, pink, and lavender. Growing one is like growing each of the variations, very similar, and a collection of heathers provides a beautiful scene in your garden. Every type needs full sun and well-drained acid soil. Heathers do best where the soil has been amended with plenty of gravel, or peat moss and sand. The best time to prune is in early spring, cutting back last year’s growth by about one third.
Heartleaf Bergenia - Bergenia Cordifolia
This variation of Bergenia is an evergreen perennial with clumps of large, thick, cabbage-like leaves that will turn from green to crimson red from warm to cold weather. In early spring, you’ll see clusters of pink or white flowers. With sun or part shade and average or moist soil, this perennial will grow up to 1 foot tall with a spread of approximately 2 feet wide.
Pinks - Dianthus
Pinks, an evergreen perennial, have grassy textured, blue-grey or blue-green foliage. There are many variations of Pinks as well, having single or double flowers in a variety of pink, white, and rose shades, typically having the smell of spice. Foliage is usually 2 to 6 inches in height, with flower stalks of about 4-12 inches tall. Pinks need full sun and well drained soil. A very hardy perennial, they can last through pretty cold winters.
