Just because Jack frost is nipping at your toes doesn’t mean your garden has to look like the Grinch’s lair! Deciduous trees lose their leaves, and most lawns go to sleep for the winter, but luckily for you there are an assortment of beautiful plants available that come alive even after the first frost of the season. Looking for something to give your garden a pop of color for the Holidays? Mickey’s LawnScapes is here with a few pro recommendations to keep your garden lively all year-round!
Winter Honeysuckle Blooms
This delightfully fragrant shrub comes alive in late Winter/early Spring. The Winter Honeysuckle grows into a dense, tangled shrub that expands to be about 6-10 feet in spread and height. Their creamy white flowers bloom in the Winter and add a touch of elegance to any pathway. Plant them anywhere their fragrance can be admired. These beauties grow best in full sun to partial shade and thrive in loamy, moist, well-drained soil. This is an easy to maintain plant but does require trimming from time to time. This is not an ideal plant for homes with pets who may get int their gardens as parts of this plant are poisonous.
Lenten Rose (Hellebores)
This gorgeous perennial sports evergreen foliage with colorful Winter blossoms in pink, burgundy, purple, red, white, yellow or green. They grow to be approximately 12 inches in height and will spread up to 18 inches wide. They begin to wake up in late Winter, then come alive in early Spring when their flowers emerge from the stem and bloom into the most beautiful colors. The flowers are long lived, staying intact for 3 months or more. These plants are terrific for gardeners in every stage including beginners, they grow well in many types of soil and can survive in shady areas. They will, however, thrive better in areas with full sun and well drained soil as they do not do well with water-logged soil. If deer are a concern for your garden, these plants are toxic to them and will not be a problem for large garden pests.
Soft Caress Mahonia
Deservingly crowned as plant of the year by the Royal Horticultural Society during the Chelsea Flower Show in London a few years back, the Soft Caress Mahonia is now a part of the Southern living Plant Collection. This beautiful plant produces wonderfully fragrant lemon-yellow flowers that bloom late Fall into Winter. After the blooms, the soft caress mahonia will then produce clusters of beautiful silver-blue berries. A fine addition to any garden, this perennial will do best in a spot with afternoon shade, well drained soil and plenty of water for its first year. They grow to approximately 3-6 feet in height and span put to 3-6 feet in width.
Winter Daphne
The Winter Daphne should be planted in an area where its fragrance can be admired. This dense, round shrub is evergreen and has the potential to grow to be 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide, offering great coverage and requiring very little-to-no-pruning. These beautiful and fragrant plants should b left for a more experienced gardener as they can be a bit finnicky. They must be in well-drained, rich soil with dappled sunlight and protection from strong winds. It requires a good year-round mulching to prevent it from drying out and protection for its delicate root system.
Landscape Design & More in Amagansett, Aquebogue, Baiting Hollow, Calverton, Cutchogue, East Hampton, East Hampton North, Greenport, Jamesport, Laurel, Mattituck, Montauk, Nassau Point, Northville, Northwest Harbor, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southold, Springs, Wading River, Westhampton Beach in East End New York
Mickey’s LawnScapes can assist you in finding the right plants for your garden no matter your level of experience. Your garden can be the talk to the town whether you live in a densely populated urban neighborhood, or wide- open suburban home. Just because winter is here that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the beauty of your garden. Container plants make beautiful additions to your landscape that can be bought inside when needed as well. Give us a call to schedule a consultation for your garden!
