'CORLISS CLIPS'/February 2012/Page 1

(Winter comes to Ipswich, MA)

Corliss Clips
February 2012 ......Page 1


February To-Do List

Enjoy the winter
Feed the birds
Read seed catalogs
And think spring!

While this winter has been unusually mild and 

almost devoid of snow cover, the following 

views are quite familiar to those of us who've 

experienced a typical New England winter.

Rating Your Winter Landscape

“The Emperor has no clothes” or, for the purposes of this discussion, your deciduous shrubs and trees have no leaves... which makes February an ideal time for a landscape reality check. Is it really all that it can be? An honest assessment, about the beauty of your own winter landscape, may reveal some glaring needs.

While almost any landscape is presentable under a fresh layer of snow, it’s the January thaw and snow-less periods during winter that highlight what may be lacking. It seems the most attractive gardens, particularly in winter, are those that merge deciduous and evergreen plant material, in a pleasing blend. This natural contrast is not really that original... we pay homage to the mixed woodlands of New England, in striving to incorporate such diverse elements within our home environs.

(A bay, held firmly within winter's icy grip)

('Blue Princess' Holly/Photo©S.W. Haddock, Jr. 2006)

When you select a deciduous specimen for your landscape, think beyond lush blooms and seasonal foliage. While such factors are certainly important during the growing season, what will that plant add to the winter scene? Does it have a pleasing winter outline, interesting bark texture, striking stem color, or persistent fruits?

Let’s start with winter fruits and berries. Nothing brightens a drab winter garden like the scarlet fruit of winterberry, a deciduous member of the Ilex (holly) genus. And nothing delights non-migratory songbirds, especially mockingbirds, more than the winterberry. One male plant will pollinate several adjacent females, to ensure berry set. Prefer evergreen holly? With the same pollination requirements as above, the ‘Blue’ hollies (Ilex meserveae spp. ) offer scarlet berries, against deep bluish-green, glossy foliage.

Above: A wooden adirondack chair, amid mixed shrubs
and evergreens, creates a tranquil winter scene.

Above: Seaside scenario... A lobster trap,
Gloucester fisherman and lighthouse replica
are suitable for a bay-side garden, which takes
on a new dimension under a fresh blanket of snow.

Above: Several spruces, along with deciduous shrubs,

provide focal points and shelter for feeding birds.

(February continues on Page 2)

©DJL/CBI 2012... Unless otherwise accredited, all photos/this page, ©CBI 2012