Winter in the garden

Cheerful plants can offer respite from winter doldrums

By Rebecca Ragain

The Beaverton Valley Times, Oct 26, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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In this part of Oregon, “winter color” can seem like an oxymoron – unless you’re talking about the colors gray or green. Yet if you plan ahead now, the winter garden can encompass many more hues than those two soggy standbys.

So if you intend to tuck in a few new ornamentals before winter, why put in plants that won’t grab your attention until spring or summer? For more immediate gratification, consider these great winter plants, as recommended by Nicole Forbes, assistant manager at Dennis’ Seven Dees Landscaping and Garden Center in Lake Oswego (503-636-4660).

Trees and shrubs are the backbone of the winter garden, especially when they feature beautiful bark. For outstanding branches and trunks, look for the paperbark maple, with its flaky, cinnamon-colored bark. Coral bark maples are another favorite, brightening the winter landscape with flame-red new growth. Red or yellow-twig dogwood can offer a similar effect, with the added bonus of decorative berries in the fall.

Witch hazels are becoming more popular lately, says Forbes. These distinctive shrubs begin blooming as early as January, perfuming the air with what Forbes describes as an “extremely wonderful fragrance.” Fringe-style flowers, in red or rich yellow, are interesting to the eye as well as enchanting to the nose.

Another sweet-smelling shrub is Sarcococca. It blooms in late December, as suggested by its common name, Christmas Box. Forbes suggests planting it near a front door or entryway where you can conveniently enjoy its scent.

“It won’t do you a lot of good in the back corner of your garden,” she points out.

A lesser-known gem is the sasanqua camellia. Look for the cultivar Yuletide, with bright red flowers that pop open in – you guessed it – late December. Like its popular, spring-blooming relative Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua has evergreen, glossy leaves. Its growth habit, however, is smaller than the japonica’s, and it tolerates more sun. It also features a subtler form of flower, says Forbes.

Forbes says: “Rather than a big rose or peony-style flower… [Camellia sasanqua] is more simplistic. You can look into the flower and see a detailed center.”

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