The Whistling Gardener

by Steve Smith

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, located at 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., and a respected local expert on all things horticultural. You can reach Steve at 425-334-2002 or by e-mail at info@sunnysidenursery.net.

Ah, the last installment for this year of my "boring-yard buster" series and then just January and February to complete a full year of ideas for you to create visual interest year round in your garden. It has been fun to put this together and I hope it has been a useful tool for you as well. While winter doesn't officially start until the 22nd, it sure is looking like winter in my yard (although surprisingly some shrubs still haven't lost their leaves). Let's take a look at what is interesting this time of year.

TREES: Now that the trees are bare, it is a chance to enjoy their branching patterns, be it weeping like the willow and birch or gnarly and twisted like a contorted filbert. And in addition to the branches, many trees have interesting bark such as the Coral Bark Maple which just gets better looking the further we go into winter. The Paper Bark Maple is another attractive tree known for it showy bark all season long, but once the leaves drop the bark becomes the focus of attention.

Stewartia and Parrotia both have patchy bark and on a smaller scale Crepe Myrtle does too. Witch Hazels are all budded up now and even before the flowers open in January their buds are a conversation piece. Viburnum 'Dawn' is a small tree that blooms from November through March and it is fragrant and will grow just about anywhere. And for a small (20 feet or so) conifer that is a real winter standout, try the golden needled eastern white pine Louie. It's a knockout.

SHRUBS: This time of year, when our native conifers become a somber backdrop for our gardens, broadleaf evergreen shrubs with glossy foliage really start to shine. Pieris, (sometimes called Andromeda), comes in many forms and is full of buds now. It is truly a workhorse for northwest gardens. Fall blooming camellias are blooming like mad, even with the temps in the mid 20s lately. Yuletide is a good red and just in time for the holidays. Marge Miller is a pink and trails, and there many others to choose from as well.

Fatsia is in full bloom now and the overwintering hummingbirds won't leave it alone. Skimmia is also coming into full bloom with male and female flowers on separate plants (unless you plant Reeve's which has both). Another winter bloomer is Mahonia Winter Sun and Charity, which are in full bloom as we speak and a welcomed treat for hummingbirds. Sundance Mexican Orange with its bright golden foliage is a good winter standout as is the green and yellow foliage of Winter Daphne.

For a shrubby conifer with golden winter needles, try the Mugo pine called Carsten's Wintergold. It is striking. And for dark bronze leaves, you simply can't beat Leucothoe or PJM rhodies or Johanna azalea. If you like berries then I highly recommend beauty berry with its intense purple pearl-like berries, and for traditional red berries there is holly, of course, but also Pyracantha.

Finally, let's not forget our native twig dogwoods which come in red and yellow and flame. When cut back hard in the spring, these dogwood shrubs will give us years of winter interest.

PERENNIALS: I just noticed that my summer dormant Arum italicum has come back to life with its dark green reticulated leaves that weather the worst winter conditions without skipping a beat. This is truly a tough perennial for shade and drought. Christmas Rose, aka Hellebore niger, starts to bloom this month and there are several new cultivars in the Gold Collection including Josef Lemper, Jacob Royal, Joshua, Pink Frost and Cinnamon Snow that come into bloom quite early and hold their flowers upright so you don't have to stand on your head to enjoy them. Bergenia is another bullet proof perennial which has started to turn burgundy this month and will continue to shine all through the winter, climaxing with stalks of pink flowers in late winter.

I have a stunning patch of Ajuga Catlin's Giant that hugs the ground with dark purple/bronze leaves and I will enjoy it until late February when I will crop it back to stimulate some new growth. And finally, more a low shrub than a perennial, heaths and heathers simply cannot be beat for non-stop blooms all winter long. Proper pruning will keep these sub-shrubs looking sharp for years and years.

So the surprises just never seem to stop when it comes to finding blooming plants any time of the year. There is no shortage of choices, just a shortage of daylight to enjoy them. Don't let your yard go to sleep this winter. Find a couple of plants on this list and start enjoying year 'round interest.

You can find me at the nursery or call me at 425-334-2002 or send me an email at info@sunnysidenursery.net.