Designing with winter in mind

Though it seems almost rude to speak about at this time of year, and us Albertans need no reminder of it, the winter season in our part of the world is long. You know this, of course. You just survived another. And although most of us would prefer to put this fact out of our minds for the next few months, if we're planning landscaping projects this summer we'd be wise to consider the colder months when doing so.

We can ensure that our newly built outdoor space offers value all throughout the year, not just May through September, in a variety of ways. One of the simplest yet most effective approaches is through the proper selection of plant species. Different varieties of trees and shrubs provide varying degrees of visual interest in the winter. Certain varieties are very well suited to this purpose.

One of the most obvious choices would be between coniferous and deciduous species. The majority of coniferous trees and shrubs keep their needles year round, providing color and structure to the landscape when the leaves of most deciduous plants have dropped. The visual impact of these coniferous varieties is magnified in the winter months when most everything else is cast in shades of white and gray.

Certain deciduous plants can offer visual interest through the winter as well. As an example, the vivid red bark of a Red-Osier Dogwood shrub can be eye catching as it stands above the snow (even more-so placed against the white bark of a paper birch tree). Bunches of berries on a Mountain Ash tree not only provide red accents to the landscape, but also attract birds throughout the winter.

Proper selection from the array of trees and shrubs (and even some perennials) available in Alberta can result in a landscape with great visual interest through the winter, for sure, but what if you'd like to enjoy your outdoor space in other ways and not just through your window or as you carry your groceries in from the car? What about those sunny winter days, of which we have many, when we'd like to step outside and enjoy the fresh air? Well, your landscaping choices can play a big role in these situations too.

Although we do see quite a few sunny days in the winter months, our likeliness to get out and enjoy them is often thwarted by the wind. In times like this, the layout of our landscape and the plant species within it can make the difference between us enjoying a hot (or cold) beverage with the sun on our faces or hunkering down inside, searching the internet for seat sales.

Most importantly, by situating our landscape layout with the prevailing winds in mind we can create windbreaks out of existing structures (house, garage, fence) or through the use of existing or new plant material. Coniferous plants bring significant value to these situations as well. A dense variety of coniferous trees or shrubs can offer great wind screening.

Equally as important as wind screening, our landscape layout must also maximize whatever winter sun exposure it can. This is where deciduous trees can prove very useful. While a larger deciduous tree may be planted in a location where it can provide shade to a patio in summer, that same tree without its leaves allows the sunlight to shine down onto the patio throughout the winter.

By blocking winds and allowing full sun exposure, a general landscape layout can create an enjoyable outdoor space to be enjoyed many winter days. A variety of other landscape choices can enhance this experience further (paved surface material/color, furniture material, lighting etc.), and the inclusion of a fire pit or other heat source can help extend this winter patio time well into the evenings.

So don't sit around and wait for global warming. Lodgepole Landscape Design can help incorporate these winter design features into your landscape layout and ensure your outdoor space can be enjoyed throughout all four seasons.

Contact Perry by phone at 403-598-1677 or email at p.hallgren@lodgepoledesign.com