How do I feel about my winter landscaping? Blah. Ugh. Yuck.
I was so excited to stumble across this old blog post the other day about native Chesapeake Bay plants that look beautiful in winter. I have nothing planted to keep my yard looking good during winter. Spring, summer and fall – beautiful colors runth over! But winter? Ugh – the bottom drops out of my home’s curb appeal. Among the winter color recommendations from the Chesapeake Bay Program are witch hazel (pictured below), winter berry, bayberry, and sumac. These native plants not only provide winter color, but also require little or no maintenance to thrive in our region. This spring I’ll be on the lookout for these great options.
I consider myself an amateur gardener – emphasis on the amateur. I’m slowly learning my lessons on what works (my blanket flower did awesome this year) and what doesn’t (bugs ate my hibiscus and it broke my heart).
I did a little extra digging of my own and found some other colorful options for improving my winter curb appeal. Among my favorite finds were eastern redbud trees, snow drops, camellias (gorgeous and pictured below), and bloodroot. While not winter blooming, there are also a few early bloomers that can kick start your landscape in late February and early March. Currently, my hyacinths, irises and daffodils are already popping up. Crocus and phlox would be great additions to these early bloomers. If you’re really desperate for winter color you can always go with the easy-to-find violets and pansies. These flowers are annuals and will not come back year after year.
So this spring planting season, I’ll have winter on my mind! Are there other winter blooming plants I should add to this list? If so, let us know!