When Planning Spring Garden, Think About Next Winter’s Too

As winter comes to an end, gardeners in northern parts of the world look for signs of life.

They look for plants that are growing from roots that were planted in autumn. Many gardeners are looking for the return of leaves to many of their trees.

By planning, people can grow plants that keep their gardens interesting to look at even during cold periods.

Here are some suggestions for planning an interesting winter garden:

First, create a wall in the back of the garden with plants that keep leaves throughout the year. That way, when some plants lose their leaves, the garden will still have structure that provides privacy¹ and interest for the eye.

Next, consider how the garden looks from the street. It matters how others see the garden. But the person who sees it the most is the gardener and those who live in the house.

Gardeners should consider where they spend most of their time. Do they spend a lot of time looking at one part of the garden? They should study how the garden looks from indoors.

When choosing plants, consider how all parts of the plant, from the fruit to the bark, will improve the garden's appearance.

Some plants that are interesting to see in the winter do not look very good during the summer. The red twig² dogwood, also known as the Cornus alba, will leave a bright red leafless bush in the winter.

Another bush that is beautiful in the winter is the American beautyberry, also called Callicarpa Americana. It is from the Southeast United States and leaves small bright purple fruits, or berries, that hang on all winter – or until the birds eat them.

Winterberry holly³ is another bush from North America. It has bright red berries in the winter that are just as pleasing for the eyes as they are for the birds. Plant one male for every six to eight female plants to make sure they produce fruit.

Trees with beautiful bark can draw people in as well. The bark of the paperback⁴ maple⁵ peels back to a rich-red bark underneath⁶. Another tree, the paper birch provides four seasons of interest. It has beautiful leaves in the fall and beautiful bark that begins to peel when the tree is about 3 years old.

Animals in the garden

Plants are not the only interesting thing in the winter garden. Think about wildlife. A bird feeder that can be seen from inside the home can have a calming effect on everyone. Place it outside the children's bedroom windows and the children will enjoy its calming effects without even knowing it.

Grasses like little bluestem, fountain grass, and sea oats, can be left standing⁷ until spring. They provide a shelter for wildlife and insects over the winter. They also are a beautiful sight for the borders of gardens and their seeds provide food for hungry birds.

However, there are some plants that gardeners should clear away in fall. The hosta plant is a favorite home in the winter for a damaging garden creature, the slug. The plants should be cut back when the colors become lighter⁸. Another plant, the iris⁹, should be cut back because it can shelter harmful insect eggs.

Plants that showed signs of disease during the past growing season should be removed before winter. Additionally, some flowering plants that come back each year should be cut back to prevent disease. They include the bee balm, peony, and phlox.

Words in This Story

garden – n. an area of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown

bark – n. the outer covering of a tree

bush – n. a plant that has stems¹⁰ of wood and is smaller than a tree

peel – v. to lose an outer layer of skin or bark

1 privacy   

n.私人权利，个人自由，隐私权

参考例句：

• In such matters,privacy is impossible.在这类事情中，保密是不可能的。
• She wept in the privacy of her own room.她在自己房内暗暗落泪。

2 twig   

n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解

参考例句：

• He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
• The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。

3 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。

4 paperback   

n.平装本，简装本

参考例句：

• A paperback edition is now available at bookshops.平装本现在在书店可以买到。
• Many books that are out of print are reissued in paperback form.许多绝版的书籍又以平装本形式重新出现。

5 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

6 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

9 iris   

n.虹膜，彩虹

参考例句：

• The opening of the iris is called the pupil.虹膜的开口处叫做瞳孔。
• This incredible human eye,complete with retina and iris,can be found in the Maldives.又是在马尔代夫，有这样一只难以置信的眼睛，连视网膜和虹膜都刻画齐全了。

10 stems   

n.（花草的）茎( stem的名词复数 )；词干；（高脚酒杯的）脚；烟斗柄v.遏制[阻止]（液体的流动等）( stem的第三人称单数 )；封堵；遏止

参考例句：

• The present wave of strikes stems from discontent among the lower-paid. 当前的罢工浪潮起因于低工资雇员们的不满情绪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her interest in flowers stems from her childhood in the country. 她对花卉的兴趣产生于她在乡下度过的童年时代。 来自《简明英汉词典》