The holiday season is approaching quickly, it is time to dress up your yard before family, and friends arrive. It does not take a lot to make your yard welcoming. A good way to make your yard that way is to add color, whether it is colorful annuals, late blooming plants or interesting branch and trunk characteristics.

One of the best ways to add interest is with seasonal color plants such as Pansies, Violas, ornamental Cabbage and Kale, Chard, Dusty Miller or Snapdragons. These plants will give you great color until warm weather arrives. Other great blooming plants are Camellias and Sasanqua, which will bloom at different times in the fall and winter depending on the variety. Variegated Daphne is another great plant that has pinkish blooms with variegated leaves. Some plants have great leaf color like Lorapetalum and Nandina with red winter foliage. You may want to add plants with interesting growth habits such as Contorted Filbert that has very curly branches and will bring definite interest to your landscape. You may want to use trees to add visual interest to your landscape. River Birch has a unique, peeling, white bark. Coral Bark Japanese Maple has a brilliant red bark that really stands out in winter. Other Japanese Maples have interesting bark colors and textures.

These are just a few examples of plants, which will give interest to your landscape during cool weather. Your friends and family will enjoy the welcoming feel of your winter landscape. Happy Gardening.