I just love winter, don't you? Okay, shoveling snow, cleaning off the car, driving on icy roads, or even walking through the cold and snow might not be fun, but there are a lot of things about winter that are. Riding on a sled, building a snowman, and participating in snowball fights are all fun. Growing up, we used to make snowballs, freeze them until the 4th of July, and then have a summer snowball fight. That's what I'm doing out here now :-)!

And when it comes to your garden, just because it's shut down for the winter, doesn't mean you still can't enjoy it. There are plenty of beautiful plants which add a unique kind of winter beauty. Any kind of evergreen is stunning in the winter but, one of my favorite is also a Christmas decorating favorite. Holly Berry's and their dark evergreen leaves are perfect for using in decorations. A unique variation of the holly shrub is the deciduous, Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). The plant might lose it's leaves during the winter but the abundant bright red berries add a splash of color on the naked branches. Red Twig  and Yellow Twig Dogwoods (Cornus sericea & Cornus stolonifera ) also add some dramatic winter color to your garden with their red and yellow branches. Don't forget your hardscape materials! There's nothing more beautiful in the winter than to look our your window and see a pond or fountain covered in snow and glittering ice. I hope everyone has a safe and happy winter and I hope you all enjoy the break you'll get from your gardening duties :-) ! Oh and this year I adopted my own magic christmas tree. You can see it right next to me. Hope it'll grow :-). You can follow the sledders back inside to the cottage and be sure to ask Violet's Aunt Therese for some hot chocolate.

Awesome watercolor winter background is from Brownielocks Igloo is from the Cartoon Cottage.