Winter Wonders: Plant a Winter Garden

In places where overcast skies and wet conditions persist for days at a time, plant anything with a touch of gold color to brighten the darkness, recommends Lorene Edwards Forkner, owner of Seattle's Fremont Gardens nursery. In the Northwest, which is U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 8, the coldest months are relatively brief, but the lack of light and overwhelming rainfall make winter hard on plants and gardeners alike. "Because of our overcast weather, we have to imitate light-thus the gold," she says. "Shots of red, orange or white are also good."

Forkner suggests these plants for winter interest:
• Varieties of the Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) that have gold highlights (try 'Confucious' or 'Fernspray Gold')
• Elaeagnus pungens 'Maculata', a broadleaved evergreen with large yellow centers on the leaves
• Heathers such as Calluna vulgaris 'Firefly' (golden) or 'Wickwar Flame' (red)
• Crabapple (Malus spp.) trees that hold their fruit. Varieties such as 'Butterball' have golden fruit.
• Shrub dogwoods (Cornus spp.) with winter branches in vibrant red and gold tones, including 'Cardinal' or 'Midwinter Fire'
• Hellebores (Helleborus spp.), which bloom reliably beginning in late December
• Minor bulbs such as winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis), snowdrops (Galanthus spp.) and snowflakes (Leucojum spp.)
• Winter-blooming shrubs: witch hazel (Hamamelis spp.); varieties of Osmanthus and Sarcococca; Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn'

The West in Winter

In the Mountain West, Central West and Southwest-where plant hardiness zones stretch from 1 to 9-bright, dry and windy conditions are common despite heavy snowfalls throughout the season. "What works in winter throughout the West are good seed heads, plants with sculptural shape and evergreen foliage," says Dan Johnson, curator of native plants at the Denver Botanic Gardens. "Plants that don't go mushy with constant freeze-thaw cycles are the best choices." Because of the winter sun's low angle, Johnson also suggests positioning plants so you can see them backlit by the morning or evening sunlight.

Johnson suggests the following plants for winter interest:
• Varieties of Echinacea and Rudbeckia make great seed heads, attract winter feeding birds and contrast with the dun color of most ornamental grasses.
• Conifers such as Alaskan weeping cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula') and the weeping giant sequoia (Sequoia giganteum 'Pendulum') offer great winter foliage and shape.
• Native varieties of Oregon grape (Mahonia spp.) and Ephedra varieties
• For branching winter silhouettes: crabapples, sycamores (Platanus spp.) and hawthorns such as Crataegeus x lavallei 'Carrierei'
• Ornamental grasses that withstand snow and wind: varieties of Miscanthus sinensis and little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius)
• Western natives such as Agave parryi, Agave havardiana, Agave neomexicana and Yucca filamentosa 'Variegata' or 'Bright Edge'
• Hellebores and witch hazel grow best in more protected locations that receive more winter moisture.

Woodland Shapes: Northeast and Midwest

In the Northeast-predominantly zones 2 through 7-heavy wet snows that stay on the ground for a long time are likely to obliterate any subtlety in late-season gardens. "Woody plants are key to the winter garden in the Northeast," Massachusetts landscape horticulturalist Warren Leach says. "Go for big, bold and strong in shape and color," he says. He's also a fan of gold-colored foliage for that extra jolt of visual warmth in the cold months.

Leach suggests the following plants for winter interest:
• Pines that change color in winter such as Pinus sylvestris 'Gold Coin', especially when paired with a reliable winter bloomer such as Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' (a reddish witch hazel)
• Shrubby dogwoods such as Cornus sericea 'Silver and Gold' (with yellow stems in winter) or Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Flame' (orange-yellow and red stems)
• Shrub willows such as Salix alba 'Vitellina' (yellow stems) or 'Chermesina' (yellow-red stems)
• The silver-gray evergreen Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl'
• The Japanese evergreen known as Hiba arborvitae (Thujopsis dolobrata) has textured bark, fan-shaped branching and interesting coloring.
• For winter berries: hollies (Ilex spp.) and red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima')
• For winter blooms: witch hazel, hellebores and snowdrops.