Many people think that when it comes to landscaping for commercial properties, winter is a drab time of the year. Fall explodes with colorful vibrancy, slowly fading into a dull winter “blah”. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little planning, your winter landscape can be just as beautiful as the other three seasons of the year.
1. Plant Some Flowers
Yes, flowers! Believe it or not, there are many varieties of plants that display beautiful colors all winter long.
Lenten Roses―They bloom from Jan.-Mar. and come in an array of colored blooms which make lovely borders and do well in pots.
Paperbush―These plants yield lovely balls of white and yellow flowers.
Witch Hazel―This is a shrub that, similar to the forsythia, has feathery flowers of yellow but also orange and red. Unlike the forsythia, this beauty blooms in the winter months.
Winter Daphne―This plant packs a one-two color punch. It has variegated yellow and green leaves and during the winter shows off pretty pink and white blooms.
Flowering Kale―Kale is a hardy plant that can add beautiful pinks and purples to your winter landscape. And they make a great salad!
2. Bring in the Birds
Birds can bring a landscape to life. People love to watch them flitter about, doing their bird things. You can encourage birds to stick around on your property by supplying them with necessities.
Food―An easy way to supply birds with food is to plant berry bushes. Leaving seed heads after they’ve died off can attract birds as well, but may not fit into a neatly groomed landscape.
Water―A heated bird bath will give birds some hard-to-find water in the winter. If you put a few twigs in it, they won’t get too wet (Brr!) when they stop to get a drink.
Shelter―Use native plants in your landscape. Plants that are native to the area are the ones that birds are naturally attracted to when searching for home sites.
3. Add Lighting
Installing extra lighting in the winter is a great way to show off your property. Aside from the obvious safety improvement, added lighting can brighten your landscape and be a mood lifter on those days when darkness comes so early.
Be festive! Put up some white or colorful string lights for the holiday season.
4. Plant Some Color
When all of the fall colors have faded away, evergreen trees and shrubs continue to add color throughout the year. They don’t have to be green, there are many varieties that can add vibrant yellows or lovely blue hues to your winter landscape palette.
Don’t stop at evergreens, however. Some perennials contribute color with 4-season foliage like Hellebores and Dianthus. Many shrubs have colorful stems like Blood Twig Dogwood (red stems) and Yellow Twig Dogwood (yellow stems, naturally) that really stand out after their blossoms have fallen. Ornamental grasses like Northern Wild Oats, Switch Grass, and Little Bluestem not only add color but add movement as well. Also look for shrubs that produce colorful berries throughout the winter months like Winterberry (red), Firethorn (orange) and Inkberry Holly (black).
5. Add to Your Hardscapes
Snow can be beautiful on your hard features like fountains and retaining walls, especially when lit adequately. Adding container plantings to your hardscapes can add both color and interest. By using small evergreens, winter flowers, and even lights, you can create beautiful arrangements that can greatly enhance your landscape. Even stem arrangements can add great interest and character.
Special holiday arrangements can be brought in to brighten the holiday spirit for customers and employees and can easily be swapped out with other winter arrangements after the holiday season has passed.
Sometimes, winter can feel long and bleak but you don’t have to wait until spring to enjoy the colors, the textures, and the beauty that nature has to offer. Create a stunning 4-season landscape for your commercial property that will look great even in the middle of winter.
Call Bluegrass today at (314) 770-2828 for all of your commercial landscape needs, no matter what the season.
