Tips to Create Magical Winter Landscapes in Northeast Ohio

A layer of Northeast Ohio snow sets the scene for magical landscapes. Learning how to play up nature’s glory with plants and hardscapes creates a yard sure to welcome friends and inspire you every time you return home. 

Let’s talk about how to create landscaping interest, color and creativity in the white (or not so glorious gray) of winter in Cleveland. 

Ideal Trees and Plants for Winter in Cleveland

Interest: Bark and Berries

Plants and trees which bear fruit or berries through the frigid season brighten your landscape. Consider crab apple trees (which surprisingly hold their fruit) and holly with berries. Several varieties of ornamental trees feature distinctive bark patterns which delight even after the leaves fall. Dogwoods and birch trees add unique texture and color as well. 

As you work to add interest to your landscape, look beyond shrubs and trees. Think of adding things like: 

• An arbor wrapped in twinkling lights, to mimic the natural peacefulness of winter.
• A trellis made of branches or a graphic screen design acts as yard art.
• A garden sculpture, you can bring beauty or a touch of whimsicle year round — and inspire you on cold, gray days. 

Color: Ever-Green Options

While you may envision tall pines when you think of evergreens. The options do not stop there. Low growing versions, like boxwood and juniper, hide foundations and make great borders. Tall, column varieties, like arborvitae and yew, create a backyard refuge or a sense of romance along a stone path, especially when sprinkled with snowflakes. 

Evergreen also goes beyond the color green. Arborvitae ‘Berckman’s Gold’ warms landscape with bronze-gold hues. Or, choose Arborvitae ‘Rheingold’ for deep copper color for your Ohio landscape. The yellows of cypress and deep greens of boxwood offer vibrant color on a backdrop of winter white. Who said December through March needs to be blah?

Winter Landscaping in Cleveland

Creativity: Containers and Cuts

Container gardening ends when the warmth of the summer sun sets. However, filling hanging baskets, window boxes, galvanized buckets and more with sticks, pinecones and evergreen boughs gives them new life. Use a wheelbarrow to stack birch logs and string with lights or berries for an unexpected bolt of festivity. 

Planting four-season perennials in winter-hearty planters adds pop to walkways, porches and seasonal beds. Avon Landscaping offers expertise on deer-resistant varieties which work best in Northeast Ohio. Shrubs, like junipers and yews, boost creativity as well. Shear them into fun shapes for a whimsical winter landscape. 

Winter Landscaping With an Eye to Spring

Some of these tips bring color, interest and creativity to your landscape this winter. No need to wait. Yet, others may inspire ideas you need to tackle once the ground thaws. 

Get Started with Avon Landscaping

Avon Landscaping wants to make your dreams reality. Visit us at the Great Big Home and Garden Show in February for all the inspiration you need. And, give us a call in the spring to get those projects started.