With winter well and truly upon us, some homeowners may be wondering how they can plan for their garden to keep a little bit of life through the cold next year. One Redditor was in just such a quandary.
On r/NativePlantGardening, they posted: "I've got Red Osier Dogwood and Winterberry I'm planning to plant for nice red colors but besides that I don't know what's highly interesting and not red. Do any other color berries, stems or leaves stay during winter?"
Combined with the limit of using plants native to the northeastern U.S., it was quite a challenge. The Reddit community never ceases to amaze, however.
One commenter stepped in with some specific and helpful suggestions: "Most people focus on shrubs for winter interest, but imo grasses are really under-appreciated! Some of them turn beautiful shades of gold, yellow & red and provide really interesting structure in a winter landscape (especially if you get snow)..."
They went on to suggest little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), wild ryes like Elymus canadensis, and common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus). Another person piled in with a few more helpful suggestions like mountain laurel, great rhododendron, white avens, Geum canadense, and common selfheal.
There was also one suggestion for shorter forbs: "Also, if you keep all your forbs standing with their seed heads throughout the winter, you can get a lot of really cool structure going on... especially mixed with grasses."
On top of looking gorgeous, native grasses and shrubs are great ways of building a thriving ecosystem right in your front yard.
They can act as a home for a whole host of wildlife, including much-needed pollinators. A dense root network also helps prevent soil erosion and sucks up water. That's good news for your foundations.
Check out The Cool Down's guide on rewilding your yard to start planning for the spring. Can't wait? You can start planting right now. Native plants require less maintenance and less watering, which can save valuable time and money in the short and long term.
🗣️ What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard?
🔘 Mowing the lawn 🏡
🔘 Controlling weeds 🌿
🔘 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️
🔘 I don't have a yard 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Redditors were thrilled at the help they received from the community on picking winter plants for their front yard.
One Redditor said, "Lots of good info here! Great question OP."
Another wrote agreed with one of the suggestions, saying, "My little bluestem looks great. I also leave the heads on my smooth hydrangeas and I think they provide a nice contrast."
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
