Designing a Winter Garden

When you think of wintertime, gardening may not be the first thing that comes to mind. A landscape of white snow, bare trees and heavy clouds might be what you think of, and what you expect to see when you look upon your yard from indoors, but the view doesn't have to be so plain. There are many different ways to keep the view bright and interesting year round, even during winter. Tall grasses add height and movement to your garden, and generally stand upright throughout the freezing months. Plants such as holly, inkberry and winterberry bear fruits to speckle your wintry landscape with color. You can also create outdoor decorations from your garden materials to welcome visitors at your door, with vibrant wreaths and urn displays made from common materials such as pine greens, Red Twig Dogwood branches, red winterberries and dried seed pods.

Bird feeders can add small rainbow bursts to your yard, too, while sustaining delicate songbirds in the blustery months. Make your own uniquely-shaped hanging feeders and cover them with peanut butter, suet, softened raisins, apple bits, peanut bits, banana slices and other foods safe and nourishing for birds. Birds need to consume extra fat during winter in order to survive the freezing temperatures. The Library has plenty of books for you to borrow about attracting and feeding birds year-round.

On Tuesday, December 3rd at 7pm, professional gardener Amy Mullen, aka "The Fraudulent Farmgirl," will be at the Library to talk about Designing a Winter Garden. Amy is the lead garden designer for Spotts Garden Service in Indianapolis and is a master at planning, growing and maintaining beautiful, earth-friendly gardens. One lucky attendee to Designing a Winter Garden on December 3rd will win a door prize specially selected by Amy. Keep your spirits up this winter with a beautiful vista of your own creation, and learn how at the Library.