5 Winter Garden Clichés that Garden Designers Never Use – and What They Suggest you Try Instead
How professionals avoid overused ideas in winter to design a more creative garden space
If your winter garden design is starting to feel a little predictable and you're tiring of it, now could be the time to get rid of those winter garden clichés that are holding you back. Instead think about refreshing an outdated space with new ideas so your garden looks as good in winter as it does in summer.
Adopting a more contemporary designer-approved look with the latest design ideas for winter gardens is the way to go. Some fresh winter styling and planting ideas could be exactly the lift your backyard needs to transform it into a space you fall in love with again.
Oversized planters are a design classic but planting them in winter can be a challenge if you want to avoid uniformity
5 Winter Garden Clichés to Avoid
If you're planning a winter garden overhaul to make your space more interesting take inspiration from the experts.
We asked landscape designers for their take on current winter design trends and here's what they say is starting to feel overdone and outdated.
1. Positioning a Fire Pit too far From the House
Ensure easy access to your fire pit to make sure you use it year round
In summer having a fire pit at some distance from the house seems like a good idea. It allows you to enjoy gathering round the fire pit in a more secluded spot in the garden. Especially as there’s the safety aspect to consider too, with guidelines from the National Fire Protection Association advising fire pits should be a minimum of 10 feet away from any buildings.
In winter functionality considerations come into play too, however, which means it might no longer seem like the best decision.
‘A fire pit too far from the house is one of the most common winter garden clichés,’ says garden designer Tina Huffman of Greenhouse Studio, which is based in Napa, CA.
‘It may look picturesque, but nobody will use it if they have to trek too far in the cold. People tend to follow the path of least resistance. Instead keep the fire pit close and keep it convenient, which is an all-season design mantra that’s not just specific to winter.’
Placing the fire pit closer to the house means it tends to be more sheltered, which is important during winter weather. It's easier to light up the area too, and carry out rugs and blankets from the house.
At the same time it's still a good idea to observe the safety guidelines to ensure the fire pit is not too close to the house.
Tina Huffman is the landscape designer behind Greenhouse Studio. She has a B.S in Ornamental Horticulture, a Masters in Landscape Architecture, and has spent years studying how space, structure, plants, and environment work in real gardens. Tina started Greenhouse Studio to give homeowners a clear, professional way to think about their outdoor spaces: what to keep, what to change, and which plants make sense for the climate.
2. Turning the Whole Yard into a Light Show
A subtle effect such as these globe lights is preferable to going overboard on lighting
Using garden lighting ideas in winter enhances the landscape beautifully at night. But it is possible to have too much lighting, which will lessen the aesthetic appeal of your design.
Blanket use of LED icicle lights can cheapen your garden design, as well as disturb the routines of wildlife visitors to your garden.
Instead aim for a subtle and inviting effect with just the right amount of lights to avoid one of the most common winter garden clichés, namely lighting overload. Opt for an elegant alternative like these white LED globe lights from Wayfair, which will never date.
‘Many people cover the whole yard with flashing lights,’ says landscaping expert Loren Taylor. ‘Sometimes it can look like you’re in an amusement park. I like to keep it simple, to use warm tones, and put lights around just one tree or some small lights around the veranda or fence. This saves energy, and your yard will look beautifully lit.’
Lighting should always be intentional not placed randomly. Limit yourself to lighting just a few of the strongest features in your yard.
This could be an architectural tree or plant, a built structure such as a raised bed or pergola, or alternatively a sculpture or water feature. Use the right lighting and this will cast beautiful shadows that help to bring depth to the space.
Loren Taylor is an expert in landscaping and gardening, and has a keen eye for exterior design. As the owner of Soothing Company in Camas, WA, he has spent 17 years honing his craft, transforming outdoor spaces into serene, beautifully landscaped environments. Loren’s detailed knowledge of plants, soil conditions, and sustainable gardening practices, combined with a passion for creating harmonious outdoor designs, has made him a sought-after authority in the field. His innovative approach to garden design has been recognized by television networks including DIY Network, Style Network, and HGTV.
3. Using an Overused Color Palette for your Planting Scheme
Swerve from the classic reds and greens of the winter garden and instead go for something more unusual like the warm golden-orange tones of witch hazel
Your winter yard doesn’t always have to look like every other one in the neighborhood. As easy way to make it stand out is by leaning in to alternative winter flowering plants to offer something different from the traditional red and green color palette.
‘One of the most common winter garden clichés I notice is people using red berries and green pine trees in winter. It looks classic but can be very monotonous,’ says Loren Taylor. ‘I think it only works in December too.’
Winter is the time to celebrate small joys by choosing plants that add a vibrant moment to lighten the darkest days of the year. Choose unexpected winter color palettes in the garden to move things on from traditional to innovative.
‘I like to add other colors like silver, blue, gold, and white,’ says Loren. ‘Often I use silver birch trees, blue spruce, and golden witch hazel. These plants look lovely in the winter season.’
Try a lovely coppery-toned witch hazel plant like this Hamamelis 'Jelena' here at Amazon. Blooming for a couple of months in deep winter in zones 3-9, it thrives in full or partial sun, and moist but well-drained soil.
4. Ending up with a Gloomy Garden full of Dark Evergreens
Dilute the effect of too many dark evergreens by using lighter evergreens and ornamental grasses
Relying on standard evergreen trees and foundation shrubs for winter interest and structure has been a go-to choice for years. But this type of planting can often make the garden feels dark and oppressive, especially if you let them grow tall.
‘For many homeowners, the ideal way to create privacy is to grow an impenetrable wall of very tall, dark evergreen trees around their property,’ says sustainability expert Dean Mahmoud. ‘But as the sun sits so low in the sky during the winter months a solid wall of tall evergreens like 50ft high spruces will cast very long shadows.’
This will make the garden dark, as well as having an impact on the efficiency of any solar panels you have installed. ‘Energy conscious designers recognize that a winter garden should be a functioning component of your utility system. For this reason, I always try to steer clients away from the most common winter garden clichés like tall evergreens. These block the amount of sun and reduce efficiency.’
Using an alternative approach includes choosing less uniformly dark evergreen shrub types, suggests Dean, and mixing in lighter varieties. Or if you live in a warmer climate try using deciduous plants instead to allow the sun to reach through.
Dean also recommends taking advantage of solar-friendly landscaping as the modern winter garden is one that meets both aesthetic and practical renewable energy requirements.
Dean Mahmoud is CEO of EcoGen America, where he oversees operations. Every year he evaluates thousands of residential sites to determine whether they are suitable for solar installation. His experience shows that the choices customers make when it comes to landscaping are often in direct opposition to their solar panels, which results in additional costs.
5. Stripping Back the Garden to Leave it Bare
Leave grasses and seed heads in place during the winter months which adds structure and movement even when the garden isn’t actively growing
Hard-pruning everything for a 'tidy' winter look is something that all landscape designers avoid.
‘One of the winter garden clichés I always avoid is the idea of stripping the entire garden bare for the winter,’ says Jake Fry, founder of Smallworks. ‘By cutting back everything, you remove structure when it's needed most, leaving the garden exposed for months with no coverage or elevation to provide visual interest.’
Instead Jake leaves the strongest stems, seed heads and ornamental grasses during winter since this is when the form and spacing of the garden can be viewed best. To get the look try the classic Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' (feather reed grass) available from Nature Hills, with its feathery blonde plumes, which is hardy in Zones 4-9.
Covering borders with novelty décor is never a good idea either. Jake agrees that relying on too many artificial details in your garden is a mistake. ‘Decorative items and treated materials will wear out and feel empty once the weather takes control. Instead, work with texture, form, and materials that will stand the test of time, as well as plant materials that will create structure even after the leaves fall.'
Jake Fry’s lifelong fascination with how people inhabit their homes has shaped his multifaceted career as a craftsman, filmmaker, carpenter, and entrepreneur. He started Smallworks in 2005. He has significant experience in designing and building low-rise homes with a focus on the outdoors, and how the garden relates to indoor spaces, throughout all the seasons, including winter.
Jake Fry has one other top recommendation to share as part of our ideas on how to avoid winter garden clichés, and it's something that's often forgotten.
'Gardens look and function differently in cold weather, and most of the time people will be viewing the garden from indoors. I design gardens from the perspective of the interior views and use clearly defined shapes and layers where the eye falls naturally. The depth created by layering in this manner creates calmness and purpose in the garden, even when no one is using it.’
If this has got your creative cogs turning for the year ahead, here are some more inspirational garden ideas for you to explore.
