"Bringing Color (and more...) to Winter Gardens

Presented by: Karen LaFleur-Stewart - Ohara School

Karen, an Associate Second Term Master in the Ohara School gives classes in her home and is a Master Gardener.  She grows many of the plants used in her ikebana arrangements in the garden of her 1913 craftsman’s cottage in the heart of Greenville.  This garden has been on several Council of Garden Club tours in Greenville.  

Karen LaFleur-Stewart created this program with the goal of helping us develop a deeper appreciation of the winter garden which is sometimes overlooked as the fourth garden season.  She lives in Zone 8 while many of us live in Zone 7a.  

There are advantages for the winter gardener:  garden chores are easier, there are fewer visual distractions, and it is possible to focus on changes.  Gardening in winter also comes with refreshing air, fewer allergens, avoidance of  biting pests, and usually softer soil.  There are also advantages for viewing the garden:  outlines and contours are easier to discern, time to evaluate strengths and weaknesses, and make plans for the future.

In this “forgotten” gardening season, time seems to move more slowly and colors are muted.  We can see more open spaces and can contemplate and appreciate the less cluttered view.  Larger outlines are revealed.  It is a good time to prune and to enjoy the more-easily-seen birds and wildlife.  During the winter season, plants add interest though their subtle color, texture and fragrance.   She shared a number of examples of plants and trees which add color and texture through their bark and berries and pointed out different plant varieties that have fragrance during the winter.

Possibilities for winter plant colors, textures and fragrance is addressed in the handout attached below.  Included with this list is a bibliography for books and websites and suggested sources for plants.

Handout: Selected Winter Plants for Color, Fragrance and Texture by Karen LaFleur Stewart