Cold + Bold Canada^™ - Sharon Murphy - Four Perennials that Provide the Best Winter Garden Views

Four Perennials that Provide the Best Winter Garden Views.

Contributors: Sharon Murphy of gardeningwithsharon.com

Frost-covered flowers with a snowy background, showcasing delicate ice crystals on brown petals.

Four Perennials that Provide the Best Winter Garden Views

After repatriating to Canada from the tropical island of St. Thomas, USVI, it took a few winters to recognize winter as its own glorious gardening season.

Okay, I lied. It took at least 10 or 15 to really appreciate this.

Even though we can't see it, there's plenty going on below the soil when we think the garden is fast asleep. Microbes stay busy even on the coldest days, tucked under mulch and an insulating blanket of snow that keeps the soil temperatures a little warmer.

Above the soil, our gardens can still offer gorgeous winter views with beautiful perennial foliage and dried flowers.

Not only do these perennials provide striking winter interest, but they also provide essential habitat for pollinators during the coldest time of the year.

Here are four of my favourite winter garden perennials:

	Baptisia (False Indigo) With its unique structure and striking seed pods, Baptisia adds visual interest long after its flowers have faded. I like to surround my Baptisia with shortened tomato cages to encourage a vase shape during the months they have no flowers. Proven Winners has amassed an impressive collection of beautiful Baptisia. The Decadence series is rated for zone 4 gardens, and the ones in my yard are robust and stunning. Check out Deluxe 'Pink Truffles', Deluxe 'Pink Lemonade', 'Cherries Jubilee', 'Vanilla Cream', 'Blueberry Sundae', and 'Lemon Meringue'.
	Tall Fall Blooming Sedums (Stonecrop) Known for their stunning autumn flower colours, fall blooming Sedums, with their sturdy stems hold their colour and foliage into the first months of winter. As the flowers age, they turn a bronzy-brown colour. Proven Winners offers abundant choices of Sedums, including: 'Autumn Delight', 'Autumn Fire', Rock 'N Grow series 'Tiramisu', 'Back in Black', 'CoralJade', and 'LemonJade'.
	Astilbes (False Spirea) Even though they have delicate flowers, their sturdy stems make for an eye-catching feature with their dried plumes lending a torch of elegance to the winter garden. My favourites are tall varieties like 'Bridal Veil', 'August Light' with its dark pink-red colour, and the coral hues of 'Rise and Shine' because their flower spires poke out of the accumulated snow. The selection doesn't end there; the Proven Winners lineup offers even more colours and sizes!
	Ornamental Perennial Grasses Just like in the summer, ornamental perennial grasses also offer structure, height, and movement to the winter garden. Proven Selections carries lovely Feather Reed Grasses that work like a charm in our northern climate, specifically 'Karl Foerster' and 'Hello Spring!". Proven Winners Switch Grass Selections, 'Niagara Falls', 'Apache Rose', 'Totem Pole', and 'Cheyenne Sky' are hardy choices, too.