Sometimes as garden plants die back for the season, bare or unattractive garden hardscape features emerge, like unwelcome guests. It could be a bare trellis where vines once grew, a fountain devoid of water, or exposed planters or hanging baskets.
However with a little effort and locally sourced cuttings, there are ways gardeners can cover up these features and add some winter cheer. And it costs nothing! Here's what we've done recently in Jenny's Garden, behind the Inn Building.
For the holiday season this year, we decided to experiment by decking out some of the feet tall irrigation towers with Fraser Fir branches that were pruned from some of our Christmas trees. They were then topped them with holly twigs pruned from some of the exuberantly berried trees and shrubs around the gardens. To hold the greenery in place, long whips were pruned from an Eleagnus and were wound around the fir greens, using the sometimes bothersome hooked spines spaced along the Eleagnus twigs to fasten them to themselves.
While temporary, the evergreen sheaths are a cheerful winter look, which will be renewed as needed with yet more winter-pruned evergreen material. We'll be experimenting with cedars and other cuttings.
For a simpler effect, you can also replace live plants in exposed planters or hanging baskets with cut greenery, or weave pruned evergreens through a trellis.
And try to limit direct sun exposure, as even winter sun can damage cuttings and accelerate their replacement. Happy cutting!