Winter in the Great White North

As an Atlantic Canadian, whenever I travel out of the country, I’m often asked about igloos and polar bears. Although I can’t say I’ve ever seen a polar bear in my backyard (I live in zone 5b for goodness sake!), we do tend to get our fair share of snow each winter. Typically, the garden is tucked beneath a thick blanket of the white stuff from December through March and unless a gardener plans ahead, the winter landscape can look rather white and monotonous.

Although I enjoy snow, I still want something pretty to look at in the garden. Therefore, I’ve come to rely on a handful of trees and shrubs that boast outstanding winter appeal. Plants that take my eye may have textured or exfoliating bark, evergreen foliage, brightly coloured berries that persist for months, fiery twigs that stand out against the pale snow, or twisted and curled branches that draw the eye.

Dogwoods are among my top go-to plants for winter interest because of their ease of cultivation, hardiness and brilliant twig colour. Two recent varieties from Proven Winners that go above and beyond expectation are Arctic Fire^{^®} Red and Arctic Sun^{^®}. Both are densely twigged, compact plants that grow just 3 to 4 feet in height, compared to older varieties, which can top out at 8 feet tall and are harder to place in a small garden. For best effect in the landscape, group these showy beauties together in groups of at least three. Arctic Fire^™ is a true winter standout with intense ruby stems, while Arctic Sun^™ has eye-catching golden twigs tipped in bright red.

I’m also rather fond of berried trees and shrubs like our deciduous native holly (aka Winterberry). Unlike those fancy evergreen English hollies with their showy glossy leaves, the native shrub loses its foliage each autumn, but don’t despair because once those leaves drop, the vibrant, jewel-toned fruits are on full display and will persist until mid-winter. Winterberry is also a tough landscape plant that can take damp and poorly drained soil, as well as average garden soil. Use it as a hedge, in mass plantings or as a winter feature in a mixed border. It is resistant to pests and disease and to the delight of the local bird population, offers a dependable crop of berries each winter.

There are a handful of named cultivars of winterberry available that offer superior characteristics to the native species. Berry Heavy^{^®} has a dense branching habit and is smothered in bright orange-red fruits from autumn to mid-winter. Just don’t forget to provide your winterberries with a pollinator like optimum berry production.

In recent years, Viburnums have been extremely fashionable and for good reason! They are true four-season plants with pretty spring flowers, lush summer foliage, deep red fall colour and winter berries. Plus, they’re deer resistant – music to my ears! I really like Cardinal Candy^{^®}, which is a hardy shrub that bears large clusters of candy apple red berries. Also, don’t overlook Brandywine^{^™}, which is a berry producing machine with unusual fruits that ripen from green to cotton candy pink to deep blue.

I may live in the great white north, but with a little bit of planning and good plant choices, my garden can be as interesting in mid-winter as it is mid-summer. Bring it on Old Man Winter!