Gray Skies, but no need for a gray landscape!
The first snow or two of the season can be pretty, and kind of exciting to some...though the frigid temperatures, gray skies, and lack of color in your landscape can also start to feel a bit depressing. While we can’t help you with the frigid air or gray sky, we CAN help your landscape avoid looking bleak and dreary!
There are definitely ways to add some color and interest to your landscape with the right choice of plant material and/or some lighting design. Late fall and early winter are great times to plant trees and large hardy shrubs. And if you choose wisely, you will be able to add a pop of color.
Some plants to consider:
Winter King Hawthorn
Flowering Crabapple Trees
Paperbark Maple trees
Hydrangea
Other considerations to help liven up your landscape:
1. Follow Through on Fall Clean-Up
One of the biggest eyesores of winter is a messy landscape. Take, for instance, all the brown leaves. Leaves are fine to leave in landscape beds because it will help create a rich compost in the spring. When leaves are on the turf however, they become wet from winter precipitation and become mushy—thus holding moisture for mold and other damage to the turf underneath. Fall clean-ups should also include removal of twigs, summer annual flowers, and cutting back perennial plants. We typically leave ornamental grasses until February to give some additional texture and softness to your landscape while also providing shelter for birds.
2. Consider Wildlife Attractors
Throughout the year, we’ve talked about how certain plants can attract colorful birds and butterflies to your property. If that’s something that you like, then you could also consider a bird feeder. Hanging a bird feeder near a window is a great way to watch the wildlife from the comfort of your cozy home.
3. Add Landscape Lighting
While the options we’ve discussed so far are more focused on adding color—adding some light helps the winter mood, too! Landscape lighting is a valuable investment for a number of reasons. It can be used to illuminate certain elements of your home (such as architectural features) or beautiful trees and shrubs so that you can enjoy them even as the sun goes down. Lighting design in your landscape can also help make your home more safe and secure by lighting up walkways, stairs, the driveway, and your home’s entrance. This is both a deterrent to intruders as well as a safety feature that makes these spaces safer to navigate.
M.J. Design is here to help get your home look more attractive this winter. Our expert team is always excited to add color to a winter landscape—helping you escape the winter blahs!
Give us a call for a winter color install! 614.873.7333