Out On A Limb / January 2007

Winter Winners

Skimmia Japonica (male)

‘Tis not the season for gardening, but it’s the perfect time for planning. The dead of winter provides an opportunity to see where new plantings might make next winter’s view more interesting. Multi-season shrubs and trees can make a garden inviting even in the cold months.

Shrubby dogwoods show off their richly colored bark through winter. The stems of Tartarian dogwood and Red-osier Dogwood are particularly bright, but there’s also the cherry red of the Cardinal and Isanti varieties, coral red of Sibirica and the blood red of Cheyenne. There are also some varieties of White Willow whose stems are colorful in winter. The Britzensis, sometimes called Chermesina, shows really red when its really cold. Gardeners can create a colorfully warm ‘fire’ in the yard, with red, yellow and orange dogwoods. A Red-osier Dogwood like Flaviramea, has bright yellow stems. Golden Willow, another White Willow variety, offers a spectrum of hot colors on a single plant. Stems are yellowest near the older part, becoming orange and finally reddish toward the tips.

The brightest stems will be on the youngest wood. Serious annual pruning will stimulate vigorous growth. For best color, give them a good soil and strong sunlight. The colder the weather, the hotter the color of the stems.

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) creates thick stands of a plant heavily covered in red berries, creating the enduringly favorite winter view when they are touched by frost. The cultivar ‘Winter Red,’ has fade-free red berries that brighten the winter landscape for months. Some other cultivars offer berries in shades of orange. Both male and female plants are needed for berry formation. Come summer, the plant will develop new green berries and rich green, slightly scalloped, thornless leaves. Winterberry prefers moist, organic, acid soil in full sun or partial shade that is well mulched and well watered. It grows six to ten feet tall-and wide

Skimmia Japonica (female)

Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana) has unusual, colorful, exfoliating bark all year round. The wood flakes off to create patterns of cream, light green, reddish-brown, or gray and white. The tree features pink-tinged green cones that take several years to ripen, long needles arranged in interesting sprays and bark that stands out beautifully in a winter landscape. Lacebark requires well-drained soil and lots of sun, though it does well in most soils and tolerates drought. It grows very slowly, but can reach 30 to 50 feet in height.

American holly, is a perennial favorite, for beautiful foliage and berries from creamy white to Canary yellow. Some varieties have variegated and edged foliage as well, and unusual growth patterns. Hollies like well-drained, moist, acid soil in sun or part shade and perform best when well mulched and sheltered from winter winds. Some varieties can get very large indeed, but there are many small cultivars with dense forms that pack a lot of garden punch.

Just 12-15 inches tall, the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), blooms when everything else is frozen solid. It produces flowers from late fall until early spring and has shiny, dark-green, leathery leaves. Each flower stalk bears a single 2-4 inch white bloom that is sometimes tinged with pink. Plant a Christmas rose in deep, fertile, well draining soil in partial shade and protect it from strong winter winds. The soil may be neutral or slightly alkaline. It takes a while for Christmas roses to become established.

Deep colors and interesting foliage of Japanese maple (Acer palmatum dissectum) make it a gardener’s favorite for spring and fall, but the little trees make lovely sculptures in the winter garden, too. Their leafy wisps of pastel greens and pinks, and red or coral foliage in warmer months turn into gloriously crimson and maroon canopies come fall. But even sans leaves, the Japanese maple catches the eye with interesting shapes. Japanese maples like moist, well-drained, acid soil laced with organic matter and enjoy being complimented.

It’s a little hard to find, but Skimmia japonica can be a year round star in the terra firmament. It has dark green, glossy foliage, fragrant white flowers in spring, and red berries in winter. A male and female plant are necessary for the female to produce berries. Skimmia is also a delightful shrub for containers, placed in full view for winter. Beaded clusters form on the leaf rosettes in summer, then each bead turns into a shiny red berry. The plants require shade with moist, well-drained, organic soil and grow 2-3 feet high and wide.

For a full frontal, floral scent, consider the evergreen, Winter Daphne (Daphne odora). Just a sprig or two in a vase perfumes an entire room. Unfortunately, Daphnes are notoriously temperamental and will pine away for no apparent reason. Daphnes have fragrant flowers with a rosy-purple tint, that begin appearing in January or February and last for weeks. When mature, they reach 3-4 feet in height. In summer, they make red berries but their variegated foliage provides year round interest. They do best in moderately acid, neutral or moderately alkaline soils with good drainage, light shade, organic soil, consistent moisture and sustained mulching. PL

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