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Favorite Winter Gardens from Garden Photo of the Day

By Joseph Tychonievich

Have the dark, chilly days of winter gotten you down? It’s time for a dose of inspiration from the GPOD! Yes, this time of year can be a sad one for gardeners, but there is still a lot of beauty and gardening joy to be experienced even in the depths of winter.

Going through some Garden Photo of the Day (GPOD) submissions from previous years and picking out my favorites of the winter posts was a lot of fun. The obvious place to start with winter gardens is enjoying the sheer beauty of snow and ice covering plants. It may not be fun to drive in, but if you bundle up and get a mug of hot cocoa, there is a lot to enjoy in a snowy garden. And some of the GPOD contributors get creative with their winter interest and snow. Who knew that a snow-covered lawn could be a sculptural work of art?

Snow isn’t the only gardening pleasure to be had this time of year; some shrubs and perennials can bloom right through the winter, and details like the bark of trees and shrubs are worth taking in as well. Winter gardening is all about focusing in on and enjoying the little details and small beauties in the world.

And when it gets just too cold to be outside, it is time to come indoors and enjoy the wealth of beauty to be had with houseplants or terrariums. Or you can take a quick trip to the conservatory at your local botanic garden to enjoy a warm, green, flowery contrast to the dreary world outside.

I hope these posts will inspire you to enjoy your winter garden even more, and to look closely at and enjoy the beauty to be had during this dark, cold time of year.

 

 

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