How to Design a Landscape for Winter Entertaining - By: Brandon Wilson

Many people keep winter parties indoors, since their cold-weather gardens are less than attractive. However, with the right species, architecture and techniques, it's possible to entertain outdoors all year long, especially in temperate Pacific Northwest locales. The following are a few methods your landscape designer would recommend for creating a gorgeous wintertime landscape.

Install a Rain Garden

Not only are rain gardens an excellent method of protecting your property, they also attract wildlife and add peaceful beauty all year long. Basically, a rain garden is an area that is designed to soak up extra rainwater. It usually includes a hollow or depression, in which bog plants thrive. Rain gardens also protect local watersheds by filtering more rainwater through the soil, rather than dumping it into the streets to pick up heavy metals and toxic engine fluids.

Select Plants that will Shine in Winter Weather

In snowy areas, a landscape designer could suggest adding pavers that will retain heat and quickly melt snow, thus creating a stunning contrast during weaker storms. Around Portland, however, the near-constant rain has more sway over winter landscape design. Gardeners should begin to improve their winter landscapes by choosing plants that provide winter interest, such as those listed below.

1. Bamboo. Bamboo will keep your garden green all winter long. However, because many varieties spread very quickly, landscape design service experts usually recommend installing barriers that bamboo's rhizomes cannot cross. (They should be about three feet deep.) If you don't want to worry about this sort of thing, choose less aggressive clumping bamboo, or plant bamboo in containers.

2. Red twig dogwood. The red twig dogwood features small white blossoms in the springtime, but this is one plant that shines in the winter, as well. Its eponymous red bark is a striking rosy shade throughout the year. (This is an excellent choice for your rain garden; red twig dogwoods are water hogs.)

3. Ornamental grasses. Ornamental grasses can add verticality and texture to an otherwise boring design. Landscape gurus suggest experimenting with grasses that feature unusual striations.

4. Astilbes. These are the stars of the summer garden, with their feather-like flowers. However, too many gardeners decapitate these beauties too early. Instead, leave the dried flower stalks of these clay-loving plants in place all winter long.

5. Ferns. Ferns of the Pacific Northwest stay green throughout the winter months. A walk through lower-elevation woods in December or January reveals sword ferns still glowing green, for instance. When it comes to hope-inducing landscape design, experts recommend licorice ferns, which put out new growth around the first of the year.

6. Trees. Trees are any garden's "skeleton," especially in winter months when barren branches create webs against the sky. If you'd like to create a natural habitat and enjoy year-round greenery, plant a conifer. Otherwise, select tree species that feature unusual branching patterns.

Add a Covered Patio

Many a landscape design service recommends building patio covers over clients' decks. This creates a space to enjoy your garden even if it's raining. Install a patio heater to draw your guests outside.

Finally, think like a design/landscape expert: Figure out where you and your guests will naturally want to walk through the garden. Install stones or pavers in those zones. This will show visitors where to walk so they'll be less likely to tromp on your tender beds.

About the Author

When considering a new landscape design, Beaverton, Oregon residents rely on Landscape East & West. Voted one of the top 100 Green Companies in Oregon, Landscape East & West is the Beaverton landscape design service residents trust. Visit their website today at http://www.LandscapeEast.com to view a portfolio of their work and a summary of their services.

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