All this can be tough to take – especially for a gardener. With the fall cleanup done, what’s left to enjoy?

Plenty, if you planned your garden well. And the bonus is there’s no backbreaking work to do. When planning a garden, ensure that you have a balance of plants to create interest year-round.

Although there are plenty of valuable evergreens in a wide range of colours, shapes, and textures, many of which change colour with the cold temperatures, you should think beyond foliage and flowers for interest at this time of year.

Many of you are familiar with the brilliant red dogwood twigs contrasted against glistening white snow in the winter. Did you know there are other varieties of dogwood with, orange, and even yellow twigs? Oakleaf Hydrangeas have remarkable fuzzy brown stems. The peeling bark of White Birch and Paperbark Maple provides lots of textural interest.

Many trees and shrubs produce an abundance of brightly coloured berries. Try the lovely, large round hips of rugosa roses, or viburnums with berries in shades of red, white, and blue. There are black elder berries, orange pyracantha berries, and countless others. How long the berries persist into winter is, in part, dependent on whether the birds see your garden as a fast-food stop.

Ornamental grasses are spectacular at this time of year. Their graceful rustling foliage is enhanced by feathery blooms ranging from white to pink to bronze. Taller grasses are especially striking when backlit by the late afternoon sun. Ornamental grasses paired with Sedum spectabile make a very handsome couple.

These are a few ideas to get you started. There are many more plants that will add interest to your garden late in the year. If you’d like further inspiration, come to the next meeting of the Flamborough Horticultural Society. Frank Kershaw, who has visited and photographed more than 2,000 gardens worldwide, will be sharing his vast experience in landscaping for fall and winter interest. The meeting is on Wednesday, November 19 at 7:30 p. m. at Strabane United Church, Brock Road, just north of 8th Concession West. Guests are warmly welcomed.

If you have any garden or plant related questions, I’d be happy to provide some insight, drawing on the vast expertise of the members of the Flamborough Horticultural Society. E-mail your questions to kbrunsch@cogeco.ca , and watch for a response in future articles.