Ho To Maintain Garden and Curb Appeal Year Round

Just because it may be wet and cold outside, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have outside focal points and interest in your gardens.  Nor does it mean that you can’t achieve an attractive curb appeal. It’s easy to have a year round garden here in Northwest. There are many steps that you can take and there are an abundance of plants and shrubs that you can choose from to brighten up your winter gardens whether you are selling your home or staying put.

Here are a few simple and quick tips that can help to add interest to your winter gardens and liven up your curb appeal during these dark and cold months:

• First of all and most importantly, don’t forget the power of mixing and layering different evergreen plants. I’ve applied this same approach for my own garden and the result is quite dynamic. These plants usually come in different shades of green and a collection of them are always refreshing and beautiful. Also, when you are buying plants, keep in mind how they look in the fall. Some bear beautiful berries or their leaves or bark may take on fall colors such as some Dogwood trees 

• Winter Daphne shrubs are some of my most favorite shrubs. They are evergreen and during the winter months they bloom and the scent is heavenly. Their leaves can be variegated and are beautiful year round.

• Hardy Cyclamen are wonderful perennials and so easy to take care of.  When all the flowers are dying out and little else is growing, these small precious flowers bloom and add soft colors that brighten up the garden. They love the cold and snow. I like the fact that they easily multiply. Plant them under trees, in the shade or on the banks. The flowers might be small but the impact is big.

• Annual Cyclamen are a cousin to Hardy Cyclamen. These flowers have larger blooms and the colors are much richer. They are a perfect plant choice for your pots.
• Hellebore plants are just fantastic. Whether you put them in pots or in the ground, these flowers will surely create visual interest to any spot. Hellebore flowers come in different colors including deep purple, light purple and white.  

There are many other plants and shrubs that you can add to your garden to create interest and color. You can find out more by visiting your local nurseries. The plants and flowers mentioned above are a good and easy way to start this project.