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When we consider the question of how we can keep some kind of winter beauty and botanical interest alive in our water gardens, for some people a lot can come to mind while for others that blank sullen stare sets in. Thankfully our northwest (USA) climate is oftentimes quite forgiving when it comes to extreme winter weather conditions. I do realize that in many other places winter really takes hold so keeping a water garden attractive can be rather challenging to say the least. Surprisingly we rarely get more than a few snow events each winter. Any kind of ice cover, sometimes as much as four inches thick, traditionally doesn't stay around for more than a few days. Hopefully seeing what is possible for us here will encourage many of you to try a few of our northwest luxuries in your own wintery waterways.

First let's take a look at what one may potentially see out of the living room window in the off-season. The water feature, whether it is a still pond, a pond with a cascading waterfall or even a simple bog may look barren and devoid of interest. All you see are some cold stark grey rocks, withered plants and not a whole lot going on in and around your former summer backyard focal point. At a minimum creating some aesthetic appeal surrounding your particular feature would greatly enhance the view.

Additionally, broadleaf evergreens can also create some more stability. A couple families that I like are the multitudes of varieties of Rhododendrons and azaleas that are available; there are very large leaved types and right on down to miniatures. Their spring color is always a welcome site. Lastly an assortment of ornamental grasses can add some height and texture well into the winter months. Many do not need a haircut until the new growth begins to show, allowing for the inflorescenses to be enjoyed for several months.

Now that you have your backyard ready for that gardening magazine photo shoot let's address what might actually look respectable INSIDE an average cool season northwest pond or bog setting. Some of the tried and true performers that we have here are natives to this region or have been naturalized over time. One disclaimer before I get started -- most of these plants have the ability of going through the throes of winter looking just fine all season long but we all know about the tricks Mother Nature can play on us. Let's just say your results may vary.

Eupatorium sp. >

Other ornamentals can create yet another dimension as an outdoor dried flower arrangement. The swamp hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos), well known for its beautiful selection of sometimes dinner plate sized flowers, leaves behind clusters of very tall (5'-6') spears with seed pods that help to retain some height in your big picture. The other two are butterfly weed (Asclepias incarnata) and Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium sp.). I know what you're thinking -- why in the world would I put any kind of weed back into my garden when I already spend so much time trying to keep it out? Luckily both of these are non-invasive and do not self-sow inordinately. Their pink summer flowers are great butterfly attracters plus they stay on as formidable dried flowers from fall and on into spring, especially the Joe Pye weed.

Now for those of you who really want to take your outdoor arena to a whole new level there are a few other considerations possible. Garden art!! Simple statuary, colorfully glazed ceramic pottery, Asian-style lanterns or even a disappearing fountain/urn system could bring that little extra pizzazz that may actually entice you to spend some time outdoors on those rare yet soothing warmer winter days. Outdoor lighting could also be just the ticket. Spot lighting a few small areas in the landscape (waterscape) such as a specimen tree with a nice silhouette or an underwater light pointing into your waterfall can lengthen your viewing time considerably. 

Last but not least, if the whole pond and bog thing is just a little more than you had in mind, trying to incorporate some of these ideas into some nice water bowls would be an easy alternative. Filling water bowls with some of the aforementioned plants while trying to keep it all in scale can be very satisfying. By planting a water hawthorne (Aponogeton distachyos) or two with their strong vanilla fragrance-laden blooms, your water bowls may be all that you need to evoke the sweet birdsongs of spring.