Creating a Fruitful Winter Garden Alexis Bacon, Former UDBG Annual Intern
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE BOTANIC GARDENS WINTER / SPRING 2021 Creating a Fruitful Winter Garden Alexis Bacon, former UDBG annual intern With December comes gray, bleak days, but color in commonly known as the winter landscape can help raise the spirits. Looking winterberry. Because out the window at the bright red of holly berries against winterberry shrubs gently falling snow makes planning for a colorful, fruiting are deciduous, winter garden worthwhile. Fortunately, the choices of their berries are winter-fruiting plants are abundant. Winter fruits come striking, especially in a rainbow of colors and many provide food for wildlife, against an evergreen T T especially birds. The following are several plants that will add background. As the RE F HN a touch of vibrancy to a monochromatic winter garden. iconic holly for holiday : JO PHOTO decorations, winterberry fruits When it comes to colorful winter fruit, no other plant can generally come in shades of rival the hollies. A unique holly for its vibrant red fruit red. However, the berries of IN THIS ISSUE gracefully held on long peduncles and leaves that lack spines, Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Gold’ Ilex pedunculosa does not seem like a holly at first glance. are a glorious apricot color. A Fruitful Winter Garden ..... 1,4 The evergreen leaves are smooth, shiny, and sometimes have dense, rounded shrub which Director's Corner .................. 2-3 a slightly wavy margin, bearing a resemblance to Ficus leaves. reaches around 6‒10’ tall, I. Green Matters ........................ 5 I. pedunculosa generally grows to a maximum of 20‒30 feet, verticillata ‘Winter Gold’ is a Where Are They Now? ...
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