In a winter garden of dormant life, the conifer is king. Color, shape, texture, form – all contribute to a welcome variety of sights in a season of denuded branches, bare soil, and recurved leaves.
My little Pinus mugo, ‘Carsten’s Wintergold”, enjoying a foggy morning.
Blue is a welcome color on gray winter days. From the Japanese Garden, Washington Park Arboretum.
Pinus schwerini, ‘Wiethorst’, surrounded by Galtheria procumbens, ‘Wintergreen’ (my garden).
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana glauca, ‘Barry’s Silver’, Blue Lawson Cypress (my garden).
One of my favorite conifers, Cryptomeria japonica, ‘Sekkan-Sugi’, Golden Japanese cedar (my garden).
Thujopsis dolabrata ‘Nana’, variegated Japanese Staghorn cedar (my garden).
Conifers, dwarf or full-size, create important structure in any garden, offer protection for wildlife, and offer beauty that changes with each season. What’s not to love about conifers?
While I Was Gardening 