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The		Garden
... ... ... In Snow Country

by Sharon Merhalski

GARDEN STRUCTURE--

The title for this page—winter and garden seems dichodomous but actually we can, in a manner of   sorts,   have a winter garden in north America where I live. This garden can be pleasing to the eye and beneficial for our feathered friends.

The word structure has been the ‘in’ word in gardening for the last few years.   We often first think of ‘structure’ as meaning statues, garden arches, or trellises.   However ‘structure’ can mean much more than those heavy stationary objects. When the snows come and accumulate, ‘structure’ in a graden can lend a surreal presence…and give something pleasing to gaze at…and be beneficial for birds.

My favorite winter tips:

1.     I do not cut all of my perennials back for the winter.   The flower heads that are allowed to dry in the garden become birdseed for the winter months.   The tall dry stalks also become garden structure that becomes beautiful when the snows become their cloak. This also allows the outlines of my flowerbeds to stay apparent all winter and   when those flower catalogs start to fill my mailbox those outlines lend ideas for next years planting as I gaze out my windows on cold winter days.

2.     In my containers that remain outside all winter I place branches deep in to the pots.(I place these containers throughout my beds.)   I have many red twig dogwood shrubs and I love to use those branches for this because the branches will remain bright red all winter.   These lend beautiful structure to my garden.   Before Christmas I add pine boughs to the same containers and the needles stay green all winter and contrast with the red twigs.   Christmas lights added to these containers make them a festive treat.

3.     Trellises can also be embellished for the winter with grape vines and bird feeders….pine cones and whatever else you find in your yard that would be interesting to look at during the winter…berry branches, strings of cranberries, etc.

4.     Of course, concrete birdbaths need to have their tops removed for the winter and stored, but birdbaths made of other materials can have pine cones heaped in them with some branches…and again for the holidays, pine boughs.   They can also be used as a holder for a bird feeder.

5.     The cornstalks most of us like to put up for fall decoration look very nice when left for garden structure.   I like to place a small wooden bench or other old object by them…wire baskets look nice for this…as do outside willow baskets filled with pine cones, branches, flower seed heads, etc.   Making vignettes in a garden any time of the year—all year-- is such a wonderful homey addition to any garden.

6.     Mirrors—my husband at first thought me a tad ‘over the edge’ when I brought home a very large plastic framed mirror (which looked like wood).   He hesitantly asked me where he was supposed to put it?   I got the husband "look" when I asked him to put it way out in the yard under the pine tree.   When in place however he actually loved it!!   It is a nice addition all year round but in the winter, sprinkled with snow or frost, it is a very pretty piece of "garden jewelery".   I put a container with a couple of those red twigs in front of it, add a small tree stump to put squirrel corn on,   and when I do my dishes the vignette becomes a winter treat that draws the eye way out into my yard…and watching squirrels see themselves in a mirror is a nature comedy act!

I hope these simple tips will encourage you to see how you can make your garden a place to enjoy during the snows of winter.  

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