While walking my pup after the last snow, I was amazed to see some perennials that I thought had died back in the winter, popping up and looking the same as they had in the fall. I attribute this to the fact that we have not had a lot of drying winds to cope with, but more melting snows which prevent the foliage from getting brittle and breaking off. Here are a few pictures of plants I often suggest.
Lavender with its nice gray foliage (no flowers in this season) still makes a statement in winter.
Lavender
Geranium Cranesbill– This blooms with small pink, purple or blue flowers from late spring to late autumn. The foliage still holds its burnt red color that it had in the fall.
Geranium-Cranesbill
Hypericum (St. John’s Wort)- The maintenance for this ground cover is weed eating it to the ground in February. It has lovely yellow intermittent flowers in July and red foliage in the fall, and apparently after a snow.
Hypericum
Autumn Fern– If had had one perennial to bring to another planet, it would be this one. This picture shows it bent under the weight of the snow. It perked up after the snow melt and retains its green foliage. In the spring we will cut it back to the ground. The new foliage will come up a burnish red then turn to green.
Autumn Fern
Heather– This is an evergreen bloomer and comes with white, pink or purple flowers. I use these in the more prominent beds in the winter, then move them to a less visible area in the summer since their foliage alone can look a bit coarse.
Heather
Christie lives in Manakin Sabot , Virginia where she manages a 3 acre garden. Her blogs are written from her 35 years as a personal and professional gardener.
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