Winterscaping is a whole new element of gardening that extends the gardening season in a fun and low maintenance way...
...by incorporating elements of decorating, the most common being wreaths, planters, and hanging baskets, almost any outdoor plant arrangement can be classified as a winterscape. Instead of passing by your planter filled with frozen dirt, join us and learn how to create a beautiful evergreen planter that will last all winter long, even in our cold Ottawa Valley winters. 
There is an art to creating a beautiful mixed evergreen display.
Always use black earth as a base to fill your pots, and water well as it will freeze up and hold the branches in place. Try and use a variety of mixed greens to create texture and various shades of colour. These are all excellent evergreen boughs to use:
- Ontario Cedar
- White Pine
- Red Pine
- Spruce
Red dogwood and birch are the traditional branches for height and colour contrast but there are many designer branches now available at your local garden centre such as:
- Kuwa Branches
- Painted Jay Branches
- Yangi Branches
Everyone loves pinecones but have you ever tried:
- Lata Stars
- Wild Rosehip
- Buddha Nuts (our favourite)
- Banana Stems or
- Lotus Pods
There are so many interesting things available to make your winterscaping project unique, elegant and stylish and there are so many colours you can choose from to accent your evergreen creations. Traditional red still reigns as the most popular colour but current trends have leaned towards a more elegant:
- white wash
- mahogany
- natural
Evergreen planters and wreaths may be the most popular amongst the winterscaping trends but what about evergreen hanging baskets? Like their beautiful summertime cousins, they make a terrific addition to yards and they look stunning on any front porch.
Low Maintenance
- Water once and you are set for the season (once it freezes)
- You don't have to deal with bugs or diseases
- Minimal maintenance and the performance is guaranteed
For many people, regardless of the season, that is an example of gardening at its finest.
Gardens spend so long cloaked in blankets of white snow so this season consider a foray into winterscaping; it is an excellent way to jazz up your property in the bleakest of seasons. And if trudging into the cold and snow on a bough-collecting mission isn’t your thing, then why not consider signing up for an Evergreen workshop? You get to create a fabulous planter in a warm greenhouse and leave all the mess behind! What better way to take winter head on?
Gemmell's Garden Centre Smiths Falls & Brockville - Your Ottawa Valley Garden Centre.
Proudly serving Stittsville, Kanata, Smiths Falls, Brockville, Kemptville, Manotick, Carleton Place, Perth, Merrickville, Cornwall, Richmond & everywhere in between.