Tree structure, bark stand out in winter
Now that my rain barrels are full (from the recent rain) and temperatures are lower, it is the perfect time to add some shrubs and trees to my garden. The garden in winter offers subtle beauty, with blooms, bark, berries and interesting forms. This is the season when we can appreciate deciduous trees and a few shrubs for more than just their foliage. Once they shed their leaves, we begin to notice their form and structure. Some, like Harry Lauder’s walking stick, Corylus avellana ‘Contorta,’ with its twisted branches and catkins, create dramatic silhouettes, while others offer colorful, exfoliating bark. Still others, like the Winter King hawthorn, Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King,’ display brilliant red berries that persist until spring and, as the tree matures, the bark begins to peel to expose patches of orange and brown. It’s worth noting that once established, ‘Winter King’ is fairly drought-tolerant and will grow happily in both city and country gardens. River birch, in particular Betula nigra ‘Dura Heat,’ offers fantastic bark year-round that is showy even on young trees in shades of salmon, brown, cinnamon and white. And, as the name implies, it is more heat-tolerant and resistant to insect and disease problems associated with birch trees. Make sure that you site river birch in full sun where it has plenty of room to grow, as mature trees can easily reach 40 feet to 50 feet high and 20 feet to 30 feet wide. If you like the look of river birch but have a small garden, you may want to try Betula nigra ‘Little King.’ This small tree reaches only 10 feet to 12 feet high and 12 feet wide. With an oval to rounded habit, it makes a choice specimen or small hedge.
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