AS&L's nursery manager, Bill Kennie, has some special picks for February--these plant are sure to cheer the winter landscape.
Elm (Ulmus): There has been a big push to reintroduce the elm back into the landscape with most of the new varieties showing very good resistance to Dutch Elm Disease. My family's farmstead has a very old specimen which has a long straight trunk and a contorted canopy...it is really a tree that offers interest for all four seasons. I truly hope this tree will be used much more in the future.
Dowood (Cornus Alba, Sericea, etc.): When I think of winter interest for shrubs this one comes in mind first. There are so many varieties of these hardy shrubs with colorful stems; red, yellow, orange, etc. Against the backdrop of snow make these plants stand out in you're winter landscape. Varieties range from dwarf to variegated foliage--dogwood offers blossoms for the bees, and berries for the birds. These plants can find a home in any landscape--additionally, they are great for naturalizing an area.
In the Northeast, I'm sure many of us don't think of perennials for winter interest, but there are really many to choose from--especially for wildlife. I have seen many perennial gardens left to go to seed making a perfect refuge with abundant food for wild life and birds. Here are a few good choices.
Coneflower (echinacea) - Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia)
- Holly Hock (alcea)
- Sedum (stonecrop) --pictured
- Lavender (lavendula)
- Japanese Spurge (pachysandra)-an evergreen ground cover
- Grasses (most varieties)
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