Winter is the Best Time to Design a Landscape


For many home and business owners, winter landscape design might seem like a contradiction. But once the lawnmowers and shovels are out of sight and the leaves fully raked, professional landscape designers have more time to re-imagine all that an outdoor space can be.

Winter is an ideal time to work with a professional to set the stage for a stunning presentation for the upcoming year.

Creating the ideal structure for a new landscape is simplest during the winter while most plants and trees are dormant. At this time, designers begin to gear toward a dramatic spring emergence. Winter landscape designers can also incorporate a whole year of emerging beauty that will include wintertime color next year.

Think Year-Round Beauty
Winter landscape design does not need to target spring, summer, and autumn only. Winter itself offers plenty of opportunities to add beauty to the outdoors. Most nurseries and landscapers sell winter plants that add color and texture to the lawn. In addition to the never fail evergreens, other trees like Japanese maple or Japanese cherry trees present a colorful wintertime addition. Lacebark elm displays colorful designs of brown, gray, orange, and green in its mottled bark that offers a lovely contrast to a background of evergreens.

A group of colorful shrubs can also provide a cheerful backdrop to a winter scene. Winterberry holly or variegated hollies display a splash of color after the leaves have fallen in the form of berry-laden branches revealing shades of red and blue.

Time to Examine the Structure of the Landscape
After the leaves and flowers are long gone, winter is the best time to re-imagine an entire landscape. Look at the entire scene from different angles to determine what spots could be filled in better, what should be moved, and which combinations do not work. Depending on the temperature zone, planting may not be advisable during the winter months, but visualizing over a period of a few months can be very beneficial.

And, in many instances, transplanting trees and shrubs during the late winter or early spring is desirable while they are still in dormancy.

For the property owner, winter is a great time to consult with a professional landscaper for advice and estimates.

For advice regarding winter landscape design, contact the experts at Heritage Oak Farm at 1-888-288-5308.

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