Create a winter destination
By: Garden Gate staff
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Set a subtle winter stage
Crisp snow crunches under your boots as you walk through the dazzling light of a cold, clear winter day in search of fresh air. Or perhaps you’ve chosen to gaze at winter from inside, as you look through the window and dream of spring. Either way, this garden gives you plenty to admire.
Hardscaping, like the flagstones and bench here, are very important in winter, giving the garden shape and purpose. The solid shapes offer plenty of contrast with winter’s wispy dried grasses, spiky seed-heads and bare stems. What might have looked like an awkward jumble of plants has been transformed into a tempting winter destination.
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Bergenia Bergenia cordifolia Type Perennial Blooms Pink flowers in mid- to late spring Best winter feature Red and green foliage Light Full to part shade Size 8 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
Bergenia
Bergenia cordifolia
Type Perennial
Blooms Pink flowers in mid- to late spring
Best winter feature Red and green foliage
Light Full to part shade
Size 8 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea Type Perennial Blooms Purple-pink in mid- to late summer Best winter feature Seedheads that birds enjoy Light Full sun Size 24 to 36 in. tall, 24 in. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Type Perennial
Blooms Purple-pink in mid- to late summer
Best winter feature Seedheads that birds enjoy
Light Full sun
Size 24 to 36 in. tall, 24 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’ Type Evergreen shrub Blooms Insignificant Best winter feature Feathery evergreen foliage Light Full sun to part shade Size 10 to 15 ft. tall, 3 ft. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 7 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 7 to 1
Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’
Type Evergreen shrub
Blooms Insignificant
Best winter feature Feathery evergreen foliage
Light Full sun to part shade
Size 10 to 15 ft. tall, 3 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 7
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 7 to 1
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Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea Type Shrub Blooms White flowers in early summer Best winter feature New stems are red Light Full sun to part shade Size 5 to 9 ft. tall, 5 to 10 ft. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 2 to 7 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 7 to 1
Red-osier dogwood
Cornus sericea
Type Shrub
Blooms White flowers in early summer
Best winter feature New stems are red
Light Full sun to part shade
Size 5 to 9 ft. tall, 5 to 10 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 2 to 7
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 7 to 1
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Maiden grass Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ Type Ornamental grass Blooms Red-brown plumes in early fall Best winter feature Silvery flower plumes Light Full sun Size 4 to 6 ft. tall, 3 to 5 ft. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 5 to 9 Heat-tolerant AHS zon
Maiden grass
Miscanthus sinensis
‘Morning Light’
Type Ornamental grass
Blooms Red-brown plumes in early fall
Best winter feature Silvery flower plumes
Light Full sun
Size 4 to 6 ft. tall, 3 to 5 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 5 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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