The installation of outdoor lighting can add visual appeal to areas such as porches, patios, and pergolas, as well as provide additional safety during the long, dark winter months.
Here are some ideas for outdoor lighting:
To avoid cumbersome extension cords and electrical outlets, consider long-lasting LED string lights for soft, easy-to-install lighting around your outdoor living area.
Place lanterns along walkways, staircases, and upon tabletops to create a magical winter wonderland in your backyard.
During the winter, candles, torches, and tea lights provide warmth. You won’t want fires burning throughout the season, but a little candlelight will create a cozy atmosphere.
Mulch colors that stand out
As well as its warming qualities, mulch can accentuate your winter landscape with stunning colors and textures by insulate the ground and protecting vulnerable plants from the cold.
Using colored mulch in your garden can transform your space from bleak and bare to vibrant and chic. Artificially colored mulches contain dyes and chemicals that are potentially harmful to the environment. To enhance your yard without harming the environment, we recommend using naturally colored mulch.
The combination of black mulch with cool colored lighting and white pebble accents is a stylish way to enhance your outdoor space. For the perfect winter color scheme, combine warm-toned mulches like cedar and red oak with evergreen shrubs and red berries.
Create a rock garden
For garden enthusiasts, winter is an excellent time to try rock gardening. Rock gardening involves creating an intentional landscape by using rocks, boulders, and other hardscape materials. If you live in a frigid or dry environment where plants cannot thrive, it’s a great way to spruce up your outdoor space.
Build a zen garden for the ultimate hardscape design. Zen gardens are part of the Japanese Buddhist tradition, where monks constructed meditation oases from natural elements like rocks, sand, and weathered boulders. You can create a peaceful, enlightening zen garden in your own backyard with this guide from the National Garden Bureau.
Pottery and vases can be used to decorate
The use of pottery, vases, and artwork as an alternative to flowers is an exciting way to personalize your winter garden. You can choose pieces that match your aesthetic and meet your landscaping goals while adding structure and visual appeal.
Place wind chimes, hanging vases, and lovely stepping stones throughout your landscape when creating your own outdoor art exhibit. Experiment with different materials to make your display stand out.
Use vibrant terracotta pots alongside dark mulch to create a bold contrast. Or choose hand-painted vases to complement your yard’s natural colors.
Build a fire pit in your backyard
Fire pits are a great way to bring warmth and comfort to your winter landscape. People can socialize outside even during the coldest days of winter.
We recommend building a fire pit that matches your home or existing patio materials. This design option seamlessly integrates your fire pit into your outdoor living space, extending your home into the backyard. Once you’ve selected a stone, brick, cement, or wrought iron pit to enhance your space, furnish the space with cozy outdoor seating and lovely lighting.
JTB Landscapers specializes in designing and building outdoor firepits that will complement your landscape design.
Build a critter-friendly hideaway
Due to plummeting temperatures, harsh winds, and freezing soil, winter flower gardens are challenging to maintain. Plants and animals alike have difficulty surviving the season, so transform your landscape into a winter wildlife sanctuary to make it a force for good.
Make a DIY feeder by hanging dried corn cobs or pine cones coated with peanut butter. You can also drill small holes in the side of tin cans and fill them with birdseed.
Install weatherproof birdhouses and cozy nesting materials in your garden space to keep your furry and feathered friends warm and safe.
Synthetic turfgrass installation
You can make your outdoor space look alive by installing synthetic turfgrass if you cannot live without a bright, green lawn during winter. According to the Synthetic Turf Council, artificial grass manufacturers make landscaping products that are pet-friendly, cost-effective, realistic, and safe for the environment.
Make your patio a cozy place
It is easy to maintain a functional outdoor space during the winter with a patio. It doesn’t matter what layout your patio has, you can add heating elements, lighting, furniture, and blankets to make it a cozy sanctuary. Using various building materials, you can create a patio if you don’t already have one around your home. You can create a remarkable space by combining your patio with other winter landscaping elements. Add a fire pit atop a brick patio for added warmth and comfort. Or decorate your patio with lanterns, vases, and winter greenery.
Heated Gazebos are a great addition
A gazebo is a perfect addition to your winter landscape. Gazebos are pavilion structures designed for seating and visual appeal in garden settings. While some gazebos are merely open-sided shade structures, others include benches so garden visitors can enjoy the sights around them from a comfortable, sheltered space.
Watching the snow fall from your gazebo is magical. However, because it does not have walls, you might get chilly. Installing a heating unit in your gazebo will improve its cold-weather functionality. Solaira heaters provide stylish, built-in warmth directly into the walls of your structure.
Plant cold-hardy plants
For your winter garden, here are some shrubs and trees to consider:
-The winterberry
-Dogwood red-osier
-Willow with coral bark
-Cherry Higan
-The American beech tree
-The Japanese stewartia
-The American cranberry bush
-Sumac staghorn
-The crabapple
-Spruce of Norway
Conclusions
When designing an incredible winter landscape, it’s essential to create one that’s functional and appealing even in the coldest months of the year.
If you incorporate just one of the design ideas into your landscape, you’ll be a step closer to creating a cheerful winter retreat for your residents.
While many of these landscape design options can be executed by you, we recommend leaving the more complex execution to the professionals. Contact JTB Landscapers today for a free landscape design consultation from our expert Las Vegas Landscaping team.