Winter is the forgotten season in the garden. When you think
of spring, summer or fall the images that come to mind are
filled with color. But when asked to describe winter in the
garden the adjectives become: drab, boring and colorless.
The herbaceous perennials are dying back and the deciduous
trees have all lost their leaves. The garden has no more to
offer until spring comes again. This doesn't have to be the
case! We make no claims that you can get the volume or pallet
of color out of your winter garden that you get from the same
garden in the summer. What we are saying is that is doesn't
have to be completely void of color. How do we suggest you
accomplish this? By using more winter berries in your garden.
Increasing the quantity of berries in your garden will provide
an added benefit. You will be improving winter habitat for
birds and drawing greater numbers into your garden.
Contrary to popular belief the holly bush is not the gardener's
only option when it comes to using berries for winter color.
The winter palate can range from red to purple or white. Red
berries are very common and serve a dual purpose when it comes
time to decorate for the holidays. With a mantle filled with
cedar boughs and pyracantha berries, you will never miss the
holly.
The following is a list that we believe no gardener should
be without:
| Callicarpa bodinieri |
Clusters of tiny mauve berries |
| Cotoneaster |
Many forms from prostrate to large shrubs,
semi-evergreen and covered with small red berries |
| Cornus canadiensis |
the grounder cover dogwood, bright red berries |
| Crabapples |
Red, orange and yellow mini apples |
Gaultheria macronata
(Pernettya) |
Large, long lasting white or a rosy purple
berries on evergreen, prickly-leafed covered stems |
| Gaultheria procumbens Wintergreen |
vigorous evergreen shrub with prostrate
stems carrying oval leathery leaves that turn red in winter
and scarlet berries |
| Hollies |
Don't forget many of the variegated leaf
forms. |
Ilex verticillata
Winterberrry |
A deciduous holly with large clusters of
red berries that provide the birds with a good source
of late winter food, these vary considerably in colour
from attractive reds to yellow and black. |
| Iris foetidissima |
Green pods open to reveal clusters of bright
red |
| Mountain Ash |
(until the birds eat all the berries) -
red, pink, orange and yellow. Red and orange go first
with pink and yellow often clinging to the branches into
the winter. Leaves turn burgundy and red to burnt orange
in fall |
| Pyracantha |
Large masses of orange - red or yellow berries
with thorny stems. |
| Rugosa Roses |
Rose hips, need we say more? |
| Sambucas |
Umbels of red or blue-black |
| Skimmia |
One of the largest and best lasting red
berry clusters |
Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus |
Deciduous shrub, white berries |
| Viburnumm opulus |
Highbush Cranberry |
| Viburnum davidii & V. tinus
'Spring Bouquet' |
Evergreen leathery leaves with umbels of
deep blue berries
|
