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THE WINTER LANDSCAPE - GOOD BONES It may be unusual, but I truly appreciate the winter landscape. Winter, like no other season, shows off a garden's bones. If a garden has good bones or hardscape, it will be glorious in the summer. For the past several years, I've been part of a team identifying those gardens to be on SFBG’s annual garden tours. Often, we are still identifying gardens in the middle of winter and must make a selection based on hardscape alone. We have never been disappointed – good bones make good gardens. In a winter landscape, I notice the conifers more readily. I have been planting Bristlecone Pines throughout my property, in lieu of pinon. In most locations, they are partnered with deciduous shrubs and trees. In the winter, without the distraction of the flowering shrubs nearby, I can truly appreciate their unique, almost geometric branching. The Bristlecones make a statement! Some deciduous shrubs and trees look more dramatic in the winter. My favorite is the New Mexico Privet, another native with a characteristic growth pattern. To me, the privet appears graceful yet strong, simultaneously. (See Ellen Wilde's article "Tree or Shrub?") Ornamental grasses deserve a special place in the winter garden. Grasses capture the mood of the world around them, reflecting sunlight in seed heads and flowers, swaying in the breezes, and sparkling when rimmed by morning frost. My grasses play several roles: some are tall and majestic, standing guard over a more formal part of my garden. Yet, when interspersed with native shrubs, these same grasses recreate the natural landscape. My favorite ornamental is the Miscanthus Morning Light. In the pale winter landscape, I especially appreciate an addition of color. Common thyme borders the brick pathway in my front courtyard. The thyme remains green and perky throughout most of the cold, winter months. Against a sprinkling of snow, the thyme looks magical. Perhaps that is why this common version is also called Winter Thyme! Spanish Broom also stays green during the winter, the larger specimens serving as small evergreens in the landscape. Red and yellow twig dogwood stand out now, silhouetted against the winter sky. Adding just a few of these special plants will enhance the garden's winter landscape.
Find out more about how the Santa Fe Botanical Garden celebrates, cultivates and conserves the rich botanical heritage and biodiversity of the region. Visit www.santafebotanicalgarden.org |
