California winters might not reflect the snow-blanketed hills and “White Christmas” atmosphere of the holiday carols and movies, but they certainly bring about cooler temperatures and increased rainfall. With the loss of leaves and winter dormancy that so many plants experience, your landscape might feel a little lifeless come wintertime. Plan ahead with these expert Winter Landscape Design tips from our Landscape Design Professionals.
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How to Liven Up your Lafayette Winter Landscape Design
Plant Evergreens
A Bay Area winter is usually temperate with some rain, so this is a great time for new plants to get established. This might seem like a no-brainer, but evergreen plants are perfect landscape additions for the winter. Not only do they serve as a great placeholder in your yard when other plants aren’t doing much, they add color and life just by being there. Whether you choose to go with arborvitae, yew, or a juniper tree, make sure to space them far enough apart to allow adequate growth.
Bright and Colorful Fruits
If you don’t want to commit to an evergreen, then go with plants that feature beautiful winter fruits as their leaves fade and fall away. Try planting crabapples, loropetalum, cotoneaster, pyracantha, holly or witchhazel for a pop of color when everything else in your landscape is dormant or absent.
Spruce Up Your Foliage
Just because your plants are losing their leaves doesn’t mean you have to be boring with what you plant. Use the winter season to experiment by introducing new colors, textures and forms in your landscape beds. Consider colorful foliage like Japanese maple, liriope or firethorn.
Avoid Puddles
Once winter rains come, you might notice standing water in low areas of your yard after a big storm. While pools and puddles might be fun for kids and animals, they can create humid conditions that lead to disease or fungus growth. To prevent these from forming, consider grading those areas away from the home or installing underground drainage systems if needed.
Let There Be Light
If you notice that your landscape is especially dark or drab during the winter, try adding some low-maintenance lighting to liven it up. Solar-powered lighs are great for pathways, while motion-activated lamps are perfect for entrances and other out-of-sight placements. To give your landscape an ethereal feel, opt for string lights.
Add a Little Fun
Winter can be a lonesome time for your landscape, given the lack of color and foliage. You can liven up drab areas by adding something fun that appeals to wildlife. For example, bird feeders that double as solar-powered lanterns when it’s dark outside is a perfect way to add light and life into your landscape. Or better yet, build an outdoor fire pit with stones for s’mores and campfires. The sky’s the limit!
Contact a Professional
We hope these tips help inspire your winter Lafayette landscape design! If you are searching for a landscape architect near me, stop right here. You can schedule a consultation with Meadowbrook Design professional landscape designer by clicking here, or call our office at (925) 200-3661 .