Plant These Colorful Winter Shrubs Now
We’re entering that time of year when seasonal depression becomes a problem for many people, and your garden is likely experiencing similar vibrations: leaves are falling, your bushes are bare, and the ground remains barren as annuals and perennials die. back.
The saddest part is the shadiest places in your garden, especially the undergrowth (the space under the trees) which has become a dark and dirty mess. But you don’t have to let sadness get the better of you—you can fill those troubled spots with flowering shrubs, which will add winter color and help prevent erosion.
The Best Bright Winter Shrubs for Shade Planting
Willow
Pussy willow is magnificent: tall, woody olive spiers with fluffy silver buds, these flowers appear in the coldest weather and last until early spring. The willow grows quickly and, when planted in a row, forms a spectacular screen.
Witch hazel
Witch hazel is like a burst of sunlight in the autumn darkness. Moreover, it is switchable: it can be grown as a shrub or tree. Either way, the yellow flowers, fragrant enough to be seen from 10 feet away, will bloom from October through New Year’s.
Red hooked sedge
Planting Red Hook Sedge is like planting a Red Fraggle Head in your yard. This clumpy grass in the sunset shade creates the perfect shade of burnt umber. Sedge will bloom in the summer, but you don’t need it to be in bloom to enjoy its color—the grass provides vertical interest as well as an electric shock of red.
Dogwood
If Red Hook sedge is the light in the dark, dogwood is the neon light. When it sheds its leaves in November, bright red branches are revealed. Dogwoods come in varying heights, ranging from two to eight feet. When grown in the understory (under other trees), dogwoods may appear lit from the inside.
Laurustin
If you want true winter blooms, Laurustinus will actually bloom from November through spring. This shrub has white or pink clusters of flowers that give way to bright blue berries, and while it can be kept well pruned, it can also grow to a height of 12 feet.
Winter heather
Winter heather grows in mounds low above the ground, and since it is an evergreen plant, some of its leaves remain throughout the winter. Beginning in December, clusters of bright pink, teardrop-shaped flowers will appear and last for several weeks. This is a hardy heather, so it will also grow vigorously.