Brighter Blooms Nursery Blog

One of the most effective ways to go about this is to plant shrubs and hedges and perennials that bloom during the winter months. Unlike standard evergreens that few people pay attention to, these unique winter blooming specimens will delight your visitors and bring color and warmth to an otherwise cold and barren landscape.

Quite famous for its winter blossoms is the Lenten Rose, or Helleborus. This gorgeous perennial boasts large, almost tropical looking flowers that bloom in late winter. You can find Lenten Rose in a few different colors, making it easy to coordinate with your current landscape. Those in search of a beautiful winter bloomer typically find what they are looking for with Helleborus.

However, your winter interest selections go far beyond the Lenten Rose. According to Justin French, Project Manager of Bright Blooms Nursery, Camellia are just as good a selection, with plenty of colors from which to choose! “Camellias come in an immense array of colors. There is little to no chance that you will not find at least one Camellia you can’t go without.” French explains what make the Camellias such a good choice for homeowners seeking to add blooms to there landscape in the winter months. Camellia sasanqua is the fall-winter blooming variety of Camellia and will provide large richly colored blossoms to really draw attention to your landscape. However, if you happen to fall in love with a Camellia japonica variety, which is the spring variety of Camellia, these will work for you also. They have been known to bloom in late winter.” French also recommends Loropetalum and Aster for their cold hardy blooms.

Another method that is utilized far less often, yet is every bit as effective, is foundation planting for insulation. Perennials planted alongside your home are beautiful in the summer, but planting dense shrubs will deflect cold winds from chilling your home and insulate your foundation. Not surprisingly, this simple act can lower your heating costs by as much as 20%.

Ideal for this purpose are thick, lush evergreen shrubs, such as American Boxwood. The density and form of this boxwood make it perfect for holding those winter winds away from your home, automatically stabilizing the temperatures inside through insulation. Other fantastic selections are Privet, Osmanthus, and Yew. However, if the idea of plain evergreen shrubs does not appeal to you, there are plenty of flowering bushes that will add some visual interest along with practicality. Camellia and Rhododendron are both fantastic evergreen shrubs that come in a wide variety of bloom colors.

When utilized properly, your “insulation shrubs” can pay for themselves in just one cold season. Pair the idea of foundation shrubs with a wind barrier in your yard, and you’ll be saving up to 60% on your heating costs this year.

The first thing you’ll want to do is draft any new plans for your landscape. If you would like to make changes or repairs, begin the process now. Figure out exactly what you’d like to do, and you’ll be able to jump right in when the weather breaks.

The next thing you’ll definitely want to do during the winter is get any gardening equipment cleaned and serviced. The last thing you’re going to want when spring arrives is to find that the lawn mower is broken. Any damages can be repaired and upgrades made long before you actually need to utilize your equipment.

You may want to have your soil tested before the actual planting season arrives, especially if you’ve had any growing difficulties in the past. This test will assess what, if anything, you need to add to your soil. Then if you need to amend the soil in any way, you’ll have plenty of notice and time to do so.

Be sure to clean and prepare flower beds. You may also want to do this in any areas of your yard that you believe you will want to plant perennials, vines, or ground covers. Preparing the area beforehand will speed the planting process when spring rolls around. Prune any deciduous trees, shrubs and hedges You will also want to prune any fruit trees or bushes you may have. Also, give any ornamental grasses a gentle, annual trim.

Follow these steps and you’ll have a great head start on your spring gardening and landscape plans.