While winter can be quite beautiful during, or right after snowfall, those days in between storms can be quite drab – think bare trees, dirty snow, dead or covered landscaping, potholes, etc. But did you know your yard doesn’t have to be dull in winter? Try incorporating some of these winter landscape design elements into your landscape design build project to help brighten up your yard during those barren months.
Landscaping Water Feature Updates – When installing waterfalls, ponds, or fountains there are a couple of options that can allow these features to add to your yard’s curb appeal in winter. When the temperatures are still above freezing, you can continue to run your pond’s pump creating motion in an otherwise lifeless season. To keep your pond or water feature running all winter, you may want to consider installing an aerator and floating deicer to allow for the pump to run in freezing temperatures. This is an especially important addition if you are interested in adding fish to your pond to keep them alive and healthy! If you are not interested in running a pump within your water feature during winter to continue movement, your water feature can still be beautiful frozen! Imagine the picturesque beauty of a frozen lake, outlined with ice crystals and an assortment of textures. Now picture this in your yard!- Winter Bloomers – When compiling your backyard design ideas, consider incorporating some shrubs that bloom when all other plants are dormant. This can add a drastic pop of color against the stark white snow. Some examples of winter bloomers are Camellia, Blue Holly, Winter Hazel, etc.
- A Bright Entry Door – A bold colored front door is not a new trend, but it can be particularly fun in winter. Similar to using plants that bloom in winter, this bright color pop can look really appealing in an otherwise dull and dormant season.
- A Well-Planned & Balanced Landscape Design – The key to year-round curb appeal is a well-planned landscape design. Haphazardly planting trees can result in an uninteresting and unappealing backyard. Similarly, landscaping with a heavy focus on summer and spring appeal can leave your winter landscape looking even more drab. By staggering winter trees with spring and summer bloomers, you can create a balanced look for all four seasons. Incorporating more winter survivors (like evergreens) into your landscape ideas is also a great way to keep a more colorful and less barren yard in winter.
Hardscaping and architectural pieces – One of the “themes” of adding curb appeal in winter is incorporating color and standout items into your landscape design that won’t get buried in winter. A beautiful stone, brick, or rock piece can not only significantly increase the appeal of your yard during outdoor entertaining months, but it can also create visual interest in winter. A large architectural piece can be highlighted by a snow dusting making it even more beautiful, and can also serve to break up the stark neutral pallet created by winter. A hardscape design element could be an intricate fire pit, a retaining wall, a water feature, etc. Did you know that adding hardscaping elements to your landscape design actually has benefits outside of being visually interesting? Read more on this in our blog, Why You Should Add Hardscaping To Your Landscape Design.- Lighting – Light can truly shape the look and feel of something. A great example of using lighting to create feelings and a particular look is how it is used in cinematography and photography to set a scene. Incorporating lighting into your landscape design can help to highlight the most beautiful elements within your yard. Lighting can also help to brighten up your yard in the cold and dark winter months. Not only can it help to keep your yard bright in the evenings when it is dark by 4 pm, but it can also help to brighten your home on the gloomy and grey days with little available light. These days are quite common in winter. In addition to the pop of brightness light creates, you can also get creative with the types of lights to further enhance your landscape design and curb appeal. Consider architecturally unique lamp posts or lanterns, or spotlights for a more modern feel!
Chances are, when you began jotting down and planning your landscape ideas, you probably overlooked winter landscape elements. Winter is assumed to be a dormant and bare scene, but it doesn’t have to be! During the planning phase of your landscape design project, we can assist in incorporating several of these features to help your yard stand out all year round! For all of your landscape design needs contact Red Cedar Arborists & Landscapers for a free consultation!