Winter isn’t the easiest time of year to care for your outdoor spaces, let alone enjoy them, but with some thoughtful planning you can maintain and beautify your landscaping even during southeastern Pennsylvania’s coldest months.

In this two-part article, we’ll talk first about what kinds of plants and flowers work best to bring some color and appeal to your outdoor spaces, and then about what you can do to tend to your landscaping in the winter so that spring finds you ready for its blossoms and warmth.

To plant or to pot?

There are trees, plants, and flowers that flourish in winter, but if you are just introducing them to your softscaping now, you may have to do so in pots first.

While there are trees and shrubs that can be planted as long as the ground is workable, more often than not roots need four to six weeks before the first deep freeze to really take hold. Your Montgomery County, PA, landscaping professional can help you take stock of your current landscaping and assess the climate conditions to help you figure out whether to plant or use pots to incorporate softscaping into your outdoor spaces this winter.

If you do use pots, remember that the temperature will be colder for tender roots there than in the ground. You can help protect the roots of potted plants from cold winter temperatures by insulating them, either with a lot of soil in a larger pot or box, or by using foam insulation along the insides of the container.

Winter-loving plants, trees, and flowers

Certain plants, trees, and flowers fare better in the cold temperatures of southeastern Pennsylvania winters. Here are a few of them:

·         Trees: Maple trees hold up well in winter, as do boxwood, birch, and dogwood. Crabapple trees are winter favorites because they still bear fruit in the colder months. And of course, holly with its bright red berries is a symbol of winter merriment. Be careful, though, with using holly around your home, as the berries are poisonous to people and pets.

·         Flowers & Plants: Winter offers a surprising variety of plants and flowers to choose from. Talk to your landscape professional about brightening your winterscape with Christmas roses, violets, pansies, winter jasmine, witch hazel, and red river lilies (sometimes called kaffir lilies).

With some creativity, planning, and the assistance of a Montgomery County PA, landscaping professional, you can enjoy the beauty of your outdoor spaces all year long.