Learn how you can use the winter months to reimagine your landscape.
Here are some tips for improving and enjoying your home’s winter landscape.
Plant Evergreen Trees to Improve Winter Landscapes
Evergreens help maintain year-round landscape interest. While many of our landscape plants provide seasonal interest, evergreens provide landscape interest and beauty in every season.
Evergreens are a fantastic way to add a pop of color, and that color isn’t always green. A Blue Dwarf Spruce will have a bluish hue, while the Gold Thread False Cypress offers beautiful yellows. Both evergreen trees can be used as accent points throughout your landscaping or to help mark different areas. They will look great regardless of the season.
Use Food and Water to Attract Birds
Birds have an even greater need for food and water during harsh winter months. You can ensure native birds have access to water in the winter by using a thermostatically controlled heater in a bird bath. The heater only works enough to prevent the water from freezing.
Make sure that your bird feeder is loaded with seeds. Birds will find it more difficult to find food, especially during winter. Your reliable source with a continuously stocked bird feeder can turn your yard into a desirable spot.
Add Landscape Lighting
Something you might not have considered is adding lights to beautify your winter landscape. The sun sets earlier during the winter months, so you and any onlookers will not be able to enjoy the landscape as long as they would during summer. A good lighting design will help bring beauty and interest to your landscape. This addition can positively impact your landscape, whether you are highlighting plants with a spotlight or installing more encompassing light to give the entire yard a bright feel.
A fire pit can also contribute to your landscaping appeal. During the winter months, you can enjoy roasted marshmallows and hot dogs. You will also enjoy the warmth while sipping a hot, spiced beverage. Adding a firepit will help make your home look more beautiful and offer new opportunities to enjoy the outdoors despite the cold.
Repurpose Existing Decorations
Leave spent seed heads that matured in the fall for the birds to eat. Although bird feeders provide necessary food when native seeds are limited, they always prefer naturally grown seeds from your landscape plants.
During winter, your standard birdbath can become something new. Move it to the front of your property into an otherwise empty space, and it can act as a work of art. Not only are you filling in the gaps, but you also showcase an existing piece in fresh and creative ways within your landscaping.
Consider Your Hardscape
In winter, your garden, flowers, and shrubbery provide less color and shape to your yard. So, the importance of hardscaping in preparing for the cold season grows.
For example, adding a bench or trellis can add color and form to your winter landscape. You may want to consider building or buying a firepit retreat that allows you to enjoy your outdoor landscape even as it snows.
Why not improve your landscape so it can be enjoyed during every season, regardless of weather and warmth? If you find it challenging to visualize what your landscape could be, enlist the help of a landscape architect to guide you.
Scientific Plant Service Is Your Go-To Source In Landscape Healthcare
Scientific Plant Service, located in Baltimore, is a privately owned corporation, chartered in Maryland in 1957 by Frank J. Burke. We started as a full-service Arborists specializing in the care of shade trees and ornamental shrubs, but today we are a Lawn Care company that is a huge part of the community. From aquatic environments and snow management to deer and mole control, SPS has services tailored specifically for your lawn and landscape.
We offer services in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia, including: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Calvert counties in MD, as well as Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church in VA. For more information, contact us online, or call us at 410-321-0970. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest.