Beyond the Whiteout: 5 Ways to Add Stunning Winter Interest to Your Minnesota Landscape

In Minnesota, our "gardening season" is often thought of as May through September. But as any homeowner knows, we spend nearly half the year looking at our landscapes through a window. Why settle for a barren, frozen wasteland when your backyard could be a sculptural masterpiece of texture and color?

At DreamScapes, we design for all twelve months. If your yard disappears the moment the first flurry hits, here are five ways to bring it back to life this winter.

1. Plant for Persistent Berries

When the sky is gray, nothing pops like a splash of scarlet or deep violet. Beyond the aesthetics, these plants turn your yard into a sanctuary for over-wintering birds.

• Winterberry (Ilex verticillata): Winterberries drop their leaves to reveal stems packed with bright red berries. Pro-tip: You need both a male and female plant (like "Jim Dandy" and "Red Sprite") for pollination to get those iconic berries. Berry Poppins^® is our Designer, Clarissa Cooper’s favorite.

          Courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com

• Crabapples: Varieties like Spring Snow, Prairiefire, and Rejoice offer beautiful spring blooms, but their real value in February is the small, persistent fruit that clings to the branches.

• Glossy Black Chokeberry: For a sophisticated, darker palette, the Aronia melanocarpa var. elata provides striking black fruit that contrasts beautifully against the white snow.

2. The Architectural Glow of Red Twig Dogwoods

While many shrubs look like a collection of gray sticks in the winter, the Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) provides a structural "fire" in the landscape.

• Cardinal: Known for its exceptionally bright red twigs that look electric against a fresh snowfall.
• Arctic Fire: A compact choice (3–5') perfect for smaller urban entries or near foundations.
• Ivory Halo: Offers variegated green and white leaves in summer, followed by deep red stems in winter.
• Neon Burst: A designer favorite for its compact habit and unique chartreuse summer foliage that transitions into vibrant winter stems.

3. Frozen Florals: Plants with Persistent Blooms

Who says flowers are only for July? Some of our favorite perennials and shrubs have "dried" flower heads that hold their shape under a dusting of snow, creating natural ice sculptures.

Panicle Hydrangeas: Leave the large, cone-shaped flower heads on the plant. They turn a lovely toasted cinnamon color and look stunning when caught in a frost.

Sedum & Astilbe: These sturdy perennials provide flat-topped and feathery textures, respectively, breaking up the horizontal planes of a snow-covered garden bed.

4. Ornamental Grasses for Movement

Winter can feel stagnant, but ornamental grasses catch the North Wind and add much-needed movement and sound to the garden.

• Karl Foerster: The gold standard for upright, architectural form that stands tall even under heavy snow loads.
• Flame Grass: Offers a beautiful reddish-orange tint that fades to a silvery white.
• Switch Grass: Provides a soft, airy texture that creates a "haze" of interest along property borders or lakeshores.

5. The Backbone: High-End Evergreens

Evergreens are the anchors of an elevated Minnesota landscape. They provide the structure for your outdoor rooms and essential privacy when the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves. From the deep greens to silvery-blue hues, and even bright lime green & yellow they provide the permanent structure that defines your property's silhouette against the winter horizon.

Transform Your View This Season

Your landscape shouldn't have an "off-season." Whether you are looking to refresh your current beds or are planning a complete backyard oasis for the coming year, we can help you select the right specimens to ensure your home looks curated and intentional all year long.

Ready to move beyond a brown-and-white backyard? Click here to book a design consultation with our team.