Garden Photo of the Day

Winter at the Fern Fairway

Making every season beautiful in this small garden space

By GPOD Contributor
winter planting in hanging trough

Cherry Ong has been sharing with us the little side-yard garden in her Richmond, British Columbia, garden. She calls the space the Fern Fairway, and she’s shown us how it looks during the warmer months of the year (The Fern Fairway in Summer). Today she’s sharing how it looks in winter.

close up of winter arrangement
Last month I wanted to spend some time gardening, so the side yard was tidied up and some winter cheer added.

winter planting in hanging trough
For the first trough, I set aside all deciduous ferns for their well-earned winter rest and grouped together some evergreen ones, then tucked in metal fronds and stems from nearby Leucothoe plus a couple of stems of rose hips for color and the birds.

close up of red berries in winter arrangement
I loved how it turned out. It’ll help keep my spirits up in the winter.

winter garden arrangement with twigs and red berries
For the other trough, I used foraged greenery and a few colored and textured elements for some color and height. I deconstructed and loosened an inexpensive grapevine wreath and hung it on the fence for added interest.

hanging pot with winter plan cuttings
I moved fuchsias to a more sheltered location for the hummingbirds and put up pots with Gaultheria (Zones 3–8) and licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza, Zones 5–8) with sprigs of Skimmia (Zones 6–8) from the garden to fill the gaps.

another view of cuttings in hanging pot
The sprigs will last a long time in the cool winter weather and look like they are growing out of the pot.

winter garden wreath
The gardener’s wreath that hangs this season holds a special memory for me!

rusty metal fern garden art
It’s always good to be out in the garden. Cheers!

 

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Comments

  1. User avater
    simplesue 02/29/2024

    Your Fern Fairway has a great presence in all four of the seasons!
    Beautiful and well designed!

    1. perenniallycrazy 02/29/2024

      Thanks. It helps keep my spirits up. Winter always seems so long. Cheers!

  2. shegardens 02/29/2024

    It’s all beautiful . . . And the wreath—icing on the cake!

    1. perenniallycrazy 03/04/2024

      Thank you and we can thank my good friend Gord for teaching and inspiring me with the wreath design. I’m looking forward to learning more of his gardening secrets.

  3. btucker9675 02/29/2024

    I know that stealing is wrong but it doesn't keep me from wanting to come filch all of your beautiful metal garden ornamentation. Fern Fairway is as beautiful in the winter as the rest of the seasons, and that winter wreath is a masterpiece!

    1. perenniallycrazy 03/04/2024

      Thanks. LOL to your comments. Not sure if you’re a bargain hunter but if you’re very patient, looking up sales from Craigslist, Facebook Markerplace and yard sales over the years has been fruitful and budget friendly for me. I make it a point to check out the clearance section of my favourite nurseries too. If we were neighbours we could go out searching together. Wishing you a fun gardening year!

  4. user-5117752 02/29/2024

    What a delight each pot, planter, design is! Your creativity is simply wonderful and inspiring! Thank you for sharing your talents with us. Each picture was a gift to me with new ideas of how to use plants I already have in my gardens with just a little touch of something to be bought next year. Just wonderful!!!

    1. perenniallycrazy 03/04/2024

      Thank you for your kind words. Let’s keep playing in the garden.

  5. User avater
    treasuresmom 03/01/2024

    So pretty.

    1. perenniallycrazy 03/04/2024

      Thank you.

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