Plants for the Winter Garden: Perennials, Grasses, Shrubs, and Trees to Add Interest in the Cold and Snow

by Warren Leach

A comprehensive reference to plants that stay beautiful in the winter garden, with design and planting concepts for prolonged wintry conditions.Plants for the Winter Garden extends the possibilities for the cold-climate gardener. Though most plants may go dormant in wintry months, there are many inspiring cultivars and varieties that hold their interest through the cold and snow, including brightly colored twigs, buds, and berries, dazzling winter flowers and dried seed pods, and elegant shadow-making plant forms. Plantsman Warren Leach shares expertise and techniques perfected over thirty years of gardening in frigid eastern Massachusetts, Incorporating structural elements like stone walls, paths, and hardy containers that keep gardens intriguing when covered with snow; Accentuating plant shapes which hold their form year-round; Siting and pruning evergreens for maximum effect; Showcasing trees with textured or colorful bark that stands out in gray months, and more. Plants for the Winter Garden provides invaluable insight that will make every garden hold its interest throughout the season.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published November 5, 2024

Reviews

[Kaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great book for anyone interested in hardy plants for the winter. Being a New York native and currently living in Colorado, I am no stranger to harsh winters. This book is very informative and provides not only in depth details but beautiful supporting pictures as well. I appreciate the several shrubs and trees mentioned, along with tips for their maintenance and protection throughout the year. It's very helpful and insightful, and I plan on incorporating some more resilient plants into my landscaping.

Thank you NetGalley and Timber Press for this informative reference book.

[Virginia]

In the last year I have taken over an empty dirt patch outside my apartment and have been working to turn it into a real garden. I would like it to be visually interesting for as many months of the year as possible, so I requested this ARC in the hopes of picking up some tips. This was a difficult one to read because clearly the ebook format had not been taken into consideration — the pages were laid out like they would be in the print version, which made all the text a bit too small to read. I ended up just skimming through and stopping to zoom in where there was a section that seemed interesting. What I did read clearly was written by someone who’d done a lot of research and had a deep knowledge of and love for gardening. However, other than one short section on container planting, this book was written only for people with houses and a fair amount of land attached. I will certainly not be planting trees or even bushes in my little dirt patch, and that was most of what was discussed! The pictures were beautiful though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Plants for the Winter Garden is a beautifully illustrated, well grounded compendium for adding winter season interest to the garden, written and curated by Warren Leach. Due out 5th Nov 2024 from Hachette on their Timber Press imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Winter is a challenging season for most gardeners in the northern hemisphere. For most, it's the season of rest after frenetic harvesting and cleaning up in fall... the season of waiting, when the catalogues come to us and we spend days by the fireplace dreaming of the next season. Everyone *wants* to have an attractive and inviting garden even in the bleakest depths of winter.

The author has done a very good job introducing readers to interesting, often beautiful, options for form and structure in the winter season which are often also useful habitat/food for birds and wildlife and give our eyes a resting place through the window in our cozy dreaming.

The author uses proper binomial classification (Latin names) as well as many common and cultivar names to make correct identification and sourcing as easy as possible. He has a phenomenal eye for the architectural design side of garden planning, and this book is a great source of inspiration and ideas for those of us whose garden "planning" tends to consist of wandering around looking for a spare bit of space to plonk new plants into.

The content is grouped into sections thematically: form & color, signs of life (buds, winter fruits, perennials, etc), structure, and seasonal care & maintenance. It's photographed generously in color throughout. The author/publisher have also included a useful cross referenced index. There are no resources or bibliography listed, but many of the species and varieties can be sourced online or from local nurseries. It's slanted toward readers in North America in the temperate areas which experience a "real" winter season with freezing temps and snow/ice.

Five stars. Beautifully done. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, for gardening groups/allotment/community garden, and for smallholders and home gardeners.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plants for the Winter Garden by Warren Leach may be aimed at the gardenenrs of North America, but there is a plethora of valuable information (and inspiration) for those in the UK also. While our winters are not as rigorous as those in North America, we do have some brutal cold snaps now and again!

Beautifully presented, the sections are clearly set out and thoroughly engaging. The photography is gorgeous and adds to the stunning aesthetic. A real treat

A perfect reference book for anyone who enjoys horticulture

Thank you to Netgalley, Timber Press ad the author for a stunning ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter in the garden is often ignored but it has It's own beauty. I love garden books that highlight that. This was very inspiring and informative.

Also I absolutely adored the dedication: "This book is dedicated to the charming woman that I met many years ago at the preview gala of the New England Spring Flower Show. Debi Hogan continues to be by my side as a loving wife and a gardening companion. My deepest affection and thanks go to Debi for her discerning editing, encouraging guidance, and endless patience." 😍

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated garden book. I got all kinds of ideas, though it wasn’t always easy to tell which plants would work in my zone 4 garden. I try to plant mostly plants that are native to Minnesota and that adds another level of trickiness but I still love the book.

I read a temporary digital review copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Sobia A Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great color photos. Something to look at again again, especially the ones that have color against the white snow background. Expecting more flowering plants. Definitely for someone who had lots of time.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reference book to get ideas of plants that add interest to a winter garden.