There are several ways for gardeners to increase the appearance of their garden during the long winter months. By wisely choosing plants with year-round interest, even amateur garden designers can create amazing landscapes through the cold, bleak months of winter.

One of the first article series I published on Suite101 was about Using Plants for Winter Interest. In this article gardeners learned the six main ways that plants can be used to create interest in the garden throughout the usually colorless winter.

Creating interest in the winter garden can be done through the use of:

• winter-blooming flowers
• evergreen shrubs and plants
• interesting plant silhouettes
• unique bark texture or color
• ornamental seeds or cones

For specific plant suggestions in each of the six categories, I have put together an ebook with over 30 pages of tips for making your winter landscape a thing of beauty with perennials, shrubs and trees every gardener should consider.

Using Plants for Winter Interest: Creating a Year-Round Garden is only $3.99 and will give gardeners several lists of plants to try in their landscapes. From variegated evergreen shrubs, to plants that flower during the coldest winter months, this book is pack with ways to increase your garden’s curb appeal.