Now is the time to really take a look at your winter landscape. Are there areas that offer some great winter color? Do you have areas that need some help? This photo shows the winterberry shrub which surrounds a flowering crabapple. The red berries of the winterberry offer bright red and gold/orange colors against the backdrop of the winter snow.

As I look out the office window right now, I see the clump of ornamental grass we have in our display bed which adorns the perennial bed rather than just being a pile of snow from the snow plow. Look around your neighborhood and surrounding areas the next time your venture out.

Some plants that offer winter interest are the flowering crabapples and Mountain Ash – both of which have persistant fruit which cling to the branches offering up winter color. The rose bushes – with their brightly colored rose hips. The highbush cranberry – again with brightly colored berrries. My favorite are the dogwoods. The bright red, orange and yellow stems of the dogwood shrubs are magnificent against the bright white snow!

You can’t plant here in Minnesota this time of year – but you can certainly start planning your landscape for spring!