Winterberry Holly

Idyllic Backyard Upgrades Embrace All 4 Seasons

As you know, Mother Nature does not provide flora in our neck of the woods with 4-season blooms and buds — yet there are ways to ensure outdoor living areas always include some color, and definitely, beauty.

So, today, we are highlighting 4 previous Deck and Patio blogs on the subject of seasonal landscapes.

Take for example water features. They are stunning any time of year. The waterfall and pond photo featured above, for example, captures Deck and Patio’s own design center in the heart of winter. We keep our water feature running in all seasons — even when it’s bitterly cold and snowy — and it’s always lovely to look at.

 

Garden Color for Fall and Winter

Garden Color for Fall and Winter

1. Garden Color for Fall and Winter — a Berry Good Thing.

Whether it’s the Red Twig Dogwood, Chokeberry and Winterberry Holly, this blog gives great ideas for backyard flora.

These not only provide food for birds, they offer color through various seasons.

Consider “Callicarpa.” It boasts bright purple berries that begin in fall and last through the winter; Skimmia evergreen shrubs always offer bright green leaves. In spring, they burst open with vibrant white flowers, and in fall, provide crimson red fruits that last through winter.

 

 

Deck and Patio Landscaping:Purple Allium Sphaerocephalon

Deck and Patio Landscaping:Purple Allium Sphaerocephalon

2.  What is Involved in Creating a Backyard Oasis Landscape?

A good deal goes into creating a backyard retreat that can be enjoyed in many seasons.

Such a plan would also take into consideration the home’s architecture as well as personal style preferences.

“It’s also key to pay close attention to your property grades,” adds Dave Stockwell, owner of Deck and Patio. “We plan so that the landscape will flourish and last for years. Our designs include a layering technique that offers privacy on the periphery and vibrancy where it will be best enjoyed.”

 

 

 

Red Maple in Fall: (Photo With Permission © by Jeff Dean)

Red Maple in Fall: (Photo With Permission © by Jeff Dean)

3.  For Fiery Fall Foliage: Are You Barking Up the Right Tree?

When we did this blog on the best trees to plant for fiery Fall color, Deck and Patio spoke with Angelo Puleo, Nursery Division, Bissett Nursery (Holtsville, NY).

“One of the most popular and widespread deciduous trees that produces bright reds in autumn is the beautiful Maple tree,” says Puleo. “In particular, we recommend Sugar Maples, and, of course, Oaks for great Fall red color.”

Puleo also recommends the Cleveland Select Pear for robust color, which bursts awake in beautiful white flowers in Spring, and in the Fall, its leaves offer up a deep orange-y-red blaze of color,” he says. For more fiery ideas do check out this blog and Pin away!

And let’s not forget winter!

 

 

Deck and Patio's Design Center

Deck and Patio’s Design Center

Close Up of Water Feature in winter

Close Up of Water Feature in winter

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Winterizing Waterscapes

With evergreens offering punches of color against a blanket of white, and grades in the property adding interest, a front yard looks like a fairytale in winter.

If you do not want the water in your water feature to freeze, you can choose to winterize your water gardens/waterscapes by running them with heat, which will melt the ice dams as you see here.

But that is not necessary and you might miss some gorgeous crystalized winter scenes.

 

Garden Color for Fall and Winter — a ‘Berry’ Good Thing

Around this time last year, our blog highlighted some great ideas for fall/winter garden color in the Northeast. Now that our evenings once again have a chill in the air, we thought it the perfect time to update that information.

unspecified The previous blog included a fairly comprehensive list of what would “lift winter doldrums with outdoor color and texture” — information that we put together with the help of Sandra Vultaggio, Horticulture Consultant at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Riverhead, NY.

Red Twig Dogwood

Working with her again, we’re updating the list by highlighting different species of shrubs and have even included a new beauty not on last year’s list at all — the glorious Red Twig Dogwood.

“The Red Twig Dogwood boasts bright red branches that make a very attractive landscape shrub in  winter,” says Vultaggio. “You can cut twigs from the bush to add décor in the home — creating centerpieces and wreathes, etc.”

Chokeberry

Another gorgeous shrub that was actually on last year’s list under “Berries and Seedheads,” but not highlighted with a photo and further info, is the stunning Chokeberry. We also think that it deserves to appear under the list’s heading “Late Season Foliage” because of its lovely red fall foliage.

Plus, during spring, the Chokeberry offers up delightful light pink flowers. Of course, we’re really highlighting it because in winter it provides dramatic color through its berries.

“Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa is native to the northeast,” adds Vultaggio, “so it is a great choice for gardeners looking to plant natives. It also is a host plant to the Coral Hairstreak butterfly, in addition to it’s winter berries providing food for wildlife.”

Winterberry Holly

Another beauty we are highlighting this year is Winterberry Holly, Ilex verticillata, which happens to be one of Vultaggio’s favorites.

“Also a native, its bright red fruit is eaten by more than 48 species of birds. It is also a good choice for a shaded site,” she says.

 

Red Twig Dogwood:

Red Twig Dogwood:

Making our list for the first time, this bush has a reputation for attracting bluebirds along with other birds and butterflies. It grows as both a perennial and as an ornamental, and will be most enjoyable after about 3 years. Note that it likes partial sun and lots of water so it’s great around water gardens — something Deck and Patio specializes in (ahem), so, naturally, it’s a favorite of ours.

 

Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa:

Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa:

The beautiful chokeberry requires only medium moisture with full sun to partial shade. And don’t forget its stunning fall foliage.

 

Winterberry:

Winterberry:

This dramatic and colorful bush is from a species of the deciduous holly family and is native to the Northeast. A slow grower, it loses its leaves each autumn. And, birds love the berries…what more need be said.

 

Callicarpa:

Callicarpa:

In last year’s blog we highlighted the beautiful purple berries of the Callicarpa. They begin in fall and last through winter. Photo: Missouri Botanical Garden

 

Skimmia:

Skimmia:

As we wrote last year, “these evergreen shrubs sport bright green leaves and, in spring, bring vibrant white flowers; in fall, they offer up crimson red fruits (berries) that last all through winter and are especially fine in December,” says Vultaggio. “They make great Christmas, holiday, or Thanksgiving hostess gifts “as they are slow growers that are ideal starting out in pots and containers.”  Photo Credit: Musical Linguist at the English language Wikipedia

 

 

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