Winter tends to be the season forgotten or ignored by Prairie gardeners.  It's cold and everything is dormant or brown. Some creative planning gives the winter garden both color and beauty. 

Due to their large scale and variety of forms, trees and shrubs are an important element of the winter landscape. Creating a visual focal point for winter appeal can be achieved by an attractive grouping of trees and/or shrubs which have a variety of sizes, shapes, textures and color.  For a list of plants with interesting bark color, persistent fruit and other winter interest features, visit our page Winter Trees & Shrubs.

Daylight is short in the winter, so you can also add subtle outdoor lighting to highlight areas of interest during the long, dark hours.  This has the benefit of looking great from the warmth indoors too!

Use containers to add color and interest to your winterscape.  A winter container arrangement of branch cuttings (examples: Evergreens, Dogwood stems, grass seed heads), or any attractive dried plant material looks great.  Be careful to select containers that can withstand the climate without damage.