Winter Interest: Creating Beautiful Landscapes That Shine All Season
A lot of people assume winter landscapes just have to look dull with brown grass & bare branches. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Winter can bring out a whole new kind of beauty in your yard, with evergreens, textures, and design details that shine when everything else is quiet. At Fox Hollow, we love creating landscapes that feel alive and inviting in every season, yes, even in the middle of winter.
Adding Winter Interest to Your Landscape Design
Great landscape design doesn’t stop when the flowers fade. While it’s easy to enjoy a yard in full bloom during May, the real magic is when your outdoor space still has character and beauty in January. With the right mixture of evergreens, textures, and thoughtful design, your landscape can feel vibrant and inviting in the cold months.
Winter landscape design is about choosing elements that thrive in cold weather and using them strategically. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide structure and color when everything else has gone dormant. Plants with interesting bark, like birch or red-twig dogwood, become sculptural elements. Ornamental grasses that hold their seed heads through winter add movement and texture that’s actually more dramatic against snow than it ever was in summer.
Fox Hollow’s landscape design services focus on creating four-season appeal from the start. We select plants that earn their keep year-round and position hardscape elements to provide visual anchors when the garden is at its most minimal. The result is a landscape that not only survives winter—it shines.
Evergreen Plants That Provide Year-Round Beauty
Evergreens are a major part of the Pennsylvania landscape, bringing colour, structure, and texture to your yard even in the coldest months. Yet, many homeowners overlook their potential by planting a simple row of arborvitae and stopping there. With a thoughtful approach, evergreens can do so much more, from framing your home’s architecture to adding depth and contrast in every season.
The key is choosing a variety of species with different shapes, colours, and growth habits. Colorado Blue Spruce offers striking silvery-blue tones and a strong vertical presence, while Japanese Yews deliver deep green foliage that can be shaped for architectural interest. Boxwood is ideal for low hedges that define spaces beautifully beneath a blanket of snow.
By mixing species and placing them strategically, you create a balanced, intentional landscape that looks vibrant year-round. Instead of just “filling space,” evergreens become a design feature, enhancing your property’s curb appeal and providing lasting beauty through every season.
The Benefits of Hardscaping for Your Outdoor Living Spaces
Winter is when hardscaping really proves its worth. While plants go dormant and lawns turn brown, well-designed patios, walkways, and retaining walls continue to provide structure and beauty. They’re the bones of your landscape, the elements that keep it looking intentional even when nature takes a break.
Hardscaping also adds year-round value to your landscape. A well-built patio with proper drainage is easier to maintain through the winter and ready to enjoy again as soon as the snow clears. Stone walkways can provide safer footing when grass is icy or muddy, while retaining walls not only add structure and visual appeal, but also help protect against erosion during freeze-thaw cycles.
Read more here: The Benefits of Hardscaping for Your Outdoor Living Spaces
Garden Tips: December
Get the garden prepped for Spring and Summer. This Sky Nursery article offers December-specific tips to help your plants thrive despite the changing conditions. From watering schedules to pruning advice, it’s packed with actionable ideas to keep your garden beautiful through the season. Read more here.
10 Tasks to Keep Your Garden Growing this Winter
Don’t let winter put your garden on pause. Proven Winners shares ten essential tasks you can do now to maintain a healthy, vibrant garden all through the colder months. Whether it’s prepping beds, caring for stored bulbs, or protecting sensitive plants, these tips ensure your outdoor space is ready for spring. Read more here.
Ready to create a landscape that works all year? Here are the resources you need:
Four-Season Landscape Design: Professional landscape design services that create year-round appeal, not just seasonal beauty.
Evergreen Plant Selection & Installation: Expert selection and placement of evergreens that provide structure, color, and interest through the winter months.
Hardscaping Services: Patios, walkways, and retaining walls that provide the backbone of beautiful winter landscapes.
Winter Landscape Consultation: Let our design team evaluate your current landscape and recommend improvements for better winter interest.
Don’t settle for a landscape that disappears in winter. Contact Fox Hollow today to discuss how we can create outdoor spaces that shine all season long.