Dream Homes - Winter 2007 - (Page 17)

Written by Scott Mehaffey G Bring your garden to life during the long, cold months of winter Gardeners often escape the winter doldrums by sharpening tools, thumbing through seed catalogs, or staring blankly out their windows imagining lush greenery and colorful flowers. In the Chicago area, where winter seems to last forever, many homeowners overlook the subtle beauty of “the quiet season.” Although ice and snow dominate the landscape during the winter months, winter has its own unique beauty, especially around the holidays. But once holiday decorations are put away, many homes seem bare, said Craig Bergmann of Wilmette-based Craig Bergmann Landscape Design Inc. But it doesn’t have to be, he says. “One advantage of using natural materials for holiday decorating is that they can stay up all winter,” Bergmann said. This article outlines a few techniques highlighted by Bergmann that will help keep your garden and outdoor space looking vibrant during the long months of winter. inter Gardens Cool Containers For more than 25 years, Bergmann’s North Shore clientele have asked him to decorate the outside of their homes not just for the holidays, but winter. “This really is a no-brainer, especially given the recent popularity of container gardening,” Bergmann said. An easy way to add some interest to frequently used outdoor areas, Bergmann suggests rearranging frost-proof containers near frequently-used entrances and windows. The use of boxwoods along with a variety of shapes and sizes of garden conifers, accented by boughs of deciduous holly or red- and yellow-stemmed dogwood helps bring some color into these areas, Bergmann said. Bunches of dried grasses or colorful twigs can also be used, along with semi-evergreen plants like Hellebores and English Ivy. “Homeowners will sometimes forget to water containerized evergreens during the winter, and by March, they’re brown,” DREAM HOMES 17

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Dream Homes - Winter 2007

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