Grasses and dwarf conifers can ensure winter interest

SARAH JACKSON, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Oct. 6

TUMWATER -- Dave Baird, co-owner of Fairie Herb and Perennial Gardens in Tumwater, said gardeners can enjoy "winter interest" in their gardens with trees, grasses and numerous perennials.

"The artistry is having it interesting throughout the year," Baird said. "More and more people who garden in our community are drawn to that as well."

Ornamental grasses should not be underplayed in winter gardens, Baird said.

Often the fall color that gardeners see at work now in many grasses will actually endure throughout the winter.

Orange, yellow, bronze and blue are just some of the colors grasses can offer.

Karl Foerster's feather reed grass, also called calamagrostis acutiflora, was named the 2001 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association. It sports a beautiful gold all winter, Baird said.

"At my garden, the Karl Foerster's spectacular right now," Baird said. "Even with snow, it holds up really well. It bounces right back."

Special varieties of miscanthus, sedge or carex grasses and blue oat grasses also will persevere for winter color.

Dwarf conifers, Baird said, also can add much-needed structure and texture to the winter landscape.

"They're the sentinels of the garden. They kind of stand guard," Baird said. "Some of them have blue foliage, and some are gold.

"They become really nice elements, generally speaking, in the landscape and in the garden, and a lot of people don't consider that."

Alice Carlson, Northwest sales representative for Briggs Nursery in Porter, said the list is endless for fall and wintering plants.

"Hey, it doesn't have to be over -- especially in the Pacific Northwest," Carlson said. "People do get kind of like they're ready to put their pots away, but the nurseries try to keep the interest going."

Dogwood trees, hellebores, lily of the valley shrubs, coral bark Japanese maples, heavenly bamboo, rugosa roses and many others dot the fall-winter list, Carlson said.

"There's a lot of interest you don't have to necessarily rely on the flower for," Carlson said. "There's a lot of things you can do with evergreens."

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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