Looking out my window in the winter, I see a lot of brown and gloomy, especially if it's not a sunny bright day. This is when I appreciate the few evergreens that can be found in a Kansas landscape like Pine and Spruce, but I also wish I had planted more of what the garden experts call winter interest type of plantings. I often make a list to refer to when I can finally go to the nurseries in the early spring so next winter I have more color and interest. Here's what's on my shopping list for this next season:

Quince, (Chaenomeles), reminds me of my grandmothers and I love the colors. This plant is the dwarf double flower variety of flowering Quince. It attracts butterflies and is beautiful into the late winter and early spring depending on the planting zones. Warning though, the bush can look messy and they need constant pruning.  Give them full sun and lots of room, they get bigger than expected. Some varieties are very large with thorns and are used as privacy screenings. Expect some attention, but you may be greatly rewarded.

Holly with red berries

Hollies, (Ilex) come in a lot of choices and are generally very hardy and drought tolerant. Need a male and female plant to produce, but I love the red berries and shiny bright evergreen leaves. 


When at your favorite nursery, look for a Leatherleaf viburnum  (Viburnum rhytidophyllum), they are popular and have very nice qualities. 

Nandinas, well, I have a love hate relationship with them BUT I like the look right now of these. Some Nandina varieties have red berries that can be attractively used in outdoor decorations.

Nandina & Boxwood

Nandina Berries

Boxwood

Boxwoods are hardy and behave themselves. They work well with this variety of Nandina that turns red in winter, but heads up, both need frequent trimming when the plants mature and when planted in small spaces such as this one.

 Ornamental Kale can last well into the dead of winter and still be attractive. I've been sooo happy with these this season. These were planted in October and were only about 2 inch plants, now more than a foot wide.
Right now, my eyes go to and I like to look at my River Birch tree. The bark is showy and not messy in an urban yard like a Sycamore tree. This is a picture of a Dwarf River Birch about 5 years old. 

Other popular winter interest plant suggestions to check out include Red-twig dogwood (Cornus alba 'Sibirica') and Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) make your yard look more like a Winter Wonder than a Winter Yuck.... 
Submitted by hutchgaudygardener.