I visited Minneapolis last weekend, just after what locals said was one of the worst winter storms in 30 years.
Two inches of ice was topped with 6 inches of fresh snow to nearly bring the city to a standstill. Fortunately by the time I arrived, a bright sun was shining and the skies had cleared (even if the roads hadn’t), making my visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska a highlight of the weekend.
Part of the University of Minnesota, the 1,100-acre arboretum lies on the outskirts of the Twin Cities. The arboretum features vast plant collections and year-round educational programs. The conservatory and indoor fairy garden exhibit in the spacious visitor center brought a steady stream of families on the day I visited.
Even though temperatures hovered in the mid-teens, I couldn’t resist walking the 3-mile drive that circles the arboretum. The road was closed to cars, but was well-plowed for walkers.
Bright sun, blue skies and several feet of snow on the ground made for a striking landscape, particularly in the newly installed sculpture garden. The artwork was buried under about 4 feet of snow in a one-of-a-kind exhibit; frozen rain several days before allowed the snow to adhere to the metal artwork as well as to surrounding tree trunks and branches. With most plants shorter than 4 feet buried under a blanket of snow, I paused to consider winter interest from a new perspective.
With another month or so until springlike weather is likely to find us in Ohio, we have plenty of time to reflect on our winter gardens and imagine what might add a new dimension to the landscape. Although we may be anxious to plan ahead to spring, we’re held captive by cold, wet soils until at least April.
Let’s take a closer look at what our winter gardens offer, and what we might improve.
Where is the eye drawn when the lawn is covered with snow, or when it’s not? Which views are considered from indoors when the sun is low that are never noticed when the hot summer sun shines?
Consider the addition of a colorful accent or artful sculpture to the garden to enliven the winter view. From my kitchen window, my eye is drawn to a large canary yellow birdhouse my husband built. Whether covered in snow, dripping with icicles or just brightening a gray day, the birdhouse gives the eye a destination.
Large planters can add a sculptural element to the garden in all four seasons. Fill containers with bulbs in spring, annuals in summer, perennials through fall and cut stems for winter.
Throughout the arboretum, large planters and urns were filled with interesting branches of colorful dogwood stems, twisted willows and filberts, and an assortment of evergreen boughs.
In my own garden, I fill winter-hardy containers with deciduous holly branches to brighten the holiday season, then enjoy the sight of hungry robins and bluebirds eating the fruit in January.
Of course our plant choices can add four-season dimension to the garden. As I walked the arboretum road, I noticed bark colors and textures, strong tree silhouettes and the remnants of last year’s fruit, including linden seeds, Kentucky coffeetree pods and dark hackberry fruit. Bright white birch bark, deeply furrowed Amur corktree bark and mottled pine bark caught the winter sun. The strong trunks and branches of towering white oaks dominated woodland views.
In my garden, the smooth, gray bark of serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) contrasts with a weeping nootka cypress (Xanthocyparis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’) just behind it. This gray bark display is especially attractive on multi-stemmed serviceberries, which are structurally elegant when bare. Add a splash of winter sun, and the light gray bark shimmers.
Serviceberry pulls its weight in the four-season garden far beyond the winter. In early spring, serviceberry is covered with white blossoms that resemble apple flowers. Fruit is quick to follow, turning from green to red and eventually ripening deep blue.
Ripe serviceberries taste like blueberries, and can be used to make pies or preserves if the gardener can beat the birds to the fruit. For the wildlife lover, serviceberry’s attractiveness to birds gives another reason to add the tree to the landscape. In autumn, serviceberry leaves turn various shades of red, yellow, orange, purple or crimson, depending on the species.
Another selection for the four-season garden is the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). This ancient tree was known only in the fossil record until it was located in China in 1941. For 100 million years, this tree has been growing and reproducing in the wild. It is now commonly grown from seed, widely available in the trade, and surprisingly adaptable in the home landscape.
A deciduous conifer, dawn redwood loses its needles after they turn reddish brown in fall. The pyramidal form adds interest to the winter landscape; in spring, soft, light green needles emerge. The feathery needles remain soft throughout the summer, when light breezes catch the branchlets, adding movement to the garden.
Dawn redwood is extremely fast-growing. In 20 years, the tree can grow 50 feet in height. We planted five dawn redwoods in our backyard when we moved into our house eight years ago. The tiny saplings quickly grew over our heads, and are now over 15 feet in height. Just before I left for Minnesota, I caught sight of a bright red cardinal perched in the top of our tallest dawn redwood, singing the promise of a spring soon to arrive.
Take advantage of the remaining days of winter to plan ahead for next year, considering a few well-chosen and well-placed additions that may just help next winter seem a bit brighter. When warm days are finally here, plan a trip to a favorite garden center or spring plant sale — wish list in hand — to fill in some missing elements of your four-season garden.
Denise Ellsworth directs the honeybee and native pollinator education program for the Ohio State University. If you have questions about caring for your garden, contact her at 330-263-3700 or click on the Ask Denise link on her blog at www.osugarden.com.