Exploring the Winter Woodland Garden

There’s nothing quite like a winter day in the woodland garden. The snow falls quietly, piling up on the hardy winter plants. The miniature trees and “life-size” trees stand out against the mounds of icy white snow. Bright berries and winter flowering plants peek out, adding color to an otherwise grey, white, and brown scene. Amidst it all, at the foot of a tree, tiny fairies fly through the air, open and close their fairy doors, and continue to make their home here, even on the coldest and cloudiest of days.  

When you think of the woodland fairy garden, you probably imagine the green leaves, bright moss, and buzzing beauty of a summer day. The forest floor is a magical place when sunlight pours in through the canopy of leaves and insects fly among the fairies. Yes, the woodland fairy garden is a treat in the summertime and spring. But in the winter, everything slows down a little bit. The winter container garden fills with snow. Winter plants continue to add color and life to the garden. And the magic, even if you have to look a little harder to find it, is still there.

Creating Your Woodland Wonderland

With a few carefully-placed accessories, winter plants, and landscaping materials, you can design a winter container garden or in-ground garden that fits the woodland theme. During the colder months, it is perfectly acceptable to keep your “forest” floor clear or top it with some pebbles or a walking path. A delicate groundcover plant will not be at home in the winter container garden. Instead, opt for winter flowering plants and other hardy winter plants that will thrive in your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. This might take a bit of research, but the work is worth it.

Once you have your winter plants in place, it is time to set up the rest of your miniature garden. Though it does not have to, a woodland garden often revolves around a fairy cottage, cabin, tent, or even a small door affixed to a tree. For your winter container garden, there are plenty of fairy houses from which to choose. For an in-ground garden, you can set a fairy door against the bottom of a tree trunk or stump, then build the rest of your miniature garden around the door. Add a few stepping stones, a rustic table and chair, and a garden fairy, and your scene is set!

Woodland gardens have a whimsical quality, so do not be afraid to play with fun miniature accessories. Rustic chairs, garden swings, toadstools, signs, bridges, and other décor pieces help make your winter container garden a “great escape” for garden visitors. In the wintertime, a well-placed miniature snow shovel might replace the garden shovels of spring and summer. Do not be afraid to try your hand at do-it-yourself creations with twigs, sticks, and other scraps. In the winter woodland garden, nothing needs to be perfect or refined. The beauty lies in the handmade, the hand-me-downs, and the hardworking garden fairies who have hunkered down for the winter.

Just a few more weeks, and spring will be on its way. May we all enjoy this quiet season while it is here, snow and all. Happy Gardening!