Warren Leach grew up on a large hilltop farm in Holden, Maine not far from Mt. Desert Island and Acadia National Park. He could see the waters of Blue Hill Bay from the right vantage point.
He would help ‘bank’ their house for the winter. An old technique, banking involved weaving boughs and branches around the base of the house to retain snow that would act as a windbreak and insulation. Leach knows all about snow and winter.
He also knows plants. He is the owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth, Mass., and lectures and teaches on a number of subjects.
I enjoyed this book because the author believes that winter can be a season of great creativity for gardeners. Of course it helps that he and I share some similar interests.
The book is chock full of color photographs. Between the text and the photos you should come away with a ton of ideas. This book won the American Horticultural Society’s book award in 2025.
One example is to use trees with interesting bark. These include Acer griseum, Pinus bungeana, Stewartia pseudocamellia, Parrotia Persica and some species of Betula.
Another is to use plants with colorful berries such as Ilex verticillata, Ilex glabra and Ilex opaca.
Plants that bloom in the colder months are of special interest. These include with Hamamelis, Mahonia, Magnolia, Hellebore, Snowdrops (Galanthus) and Winter Aconite.
Grasses that stand tall in the colder months can be a great addition to the winter landscape. Little Bluestem and some Andropogon may fit the bill.
Don’t forget to add color. Blue is a great color to add to the palette of your winter landscape. Trees such as Picea pungens ‘Glauca’ (Blue Spruce) can be spectacular.
Chaemaecyparis is great if you’re a fan of chartreuse. If you like red try red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) and/or lowbush blueberry.
Handled properly, snow can seem like white sand in a Zen Garden.
Some plants, like Umbrella pine (Sciadopitys), are recommended simply by their form and habit.
Get creative and have fun. You don’t have to shut down your gardening brain for the
winter!
– Will Rowlands
Plants for the Winter Garden – Perennials, Grasses, Shrubs and Trees to Add Interest in the Cold and Snow
255 pages, color photos, 8.75” × 10.25”
Hardcover $40, ebook $18.99
ISBN 978-1-60469-926-5
Published by Timber Press (www.hachettebookgroup.com/imprint/timber-press)
