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Evergreens give winter landscapes some green color and are especially attractive when they're flocked with snow.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver, USU Extension

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Snowdrops are are among the first perennial bulbs to emerge each year, sometimes blooming as early as mid-winter.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver, USU Extension

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Creating an evergreen topiary is another way to enliven a winter landscape.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver, USU Extension

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Some ornamental grasses will persist well into the winter, adding texture and movement in the landscape.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver, USU Extension

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As the bark on a sycamore tree flakes away, it expose a variety of colors in the underbark.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver, USU Extension

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The exfoliating bark on trees like this paperbark maple can add visual interest in a winter landscape.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver, USU Extension

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Red twig dogwoods can add a pop of color to a shrub bed.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver, USU Extension

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A fairy garden, sculpture, bird feeder or other non-plant addition to a landscape can add visual interest in the winter. It's important to make sure the materials are cold-weather safe.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver, USU Extension

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Our yard hasn’t been very interesting this winter. What can we do to improve our view for future years? Are there plants I can add that will do well here?

There are several ways to add winter interest to your yard. Make a sketch of your general landscape, shrub and flower beds, focusing on street views and those areas that you see from inside your home every day and see if you have room for additions like the following suggestions.

“Spring” bulbs might be a good addition. We tend to think of tulips and daffodils when we think of bulbs, but some fall-planted bulb species poke their heads up so early in the year that we are still having winter conditions. In my own landscape, the very first snowdrops were up and blooming in the last few days of December. Today, there is a blanket of white flowers in that shrub bed. I can also see foliage from crocus and dwarf iris and their blooms will be a nice bridge between winter and spring.

For true late fall through dead of winter interest, include perennials with flowers that provide interesting profiles once the flowers have dried in the fall. Dried flowers and seed heads can support tufts of snow, attract birds and provide movement in the wind. These flowers can be cut back in late winter as they begin to break down from winter wear and tear.

Evergreens, either conifer or broad leaf, will provide green color, hold onto snow, provide white and green contrast and give shelter to local overwintering birds during the winter. They can also provide the “bones” for a topiary. There are dwarf, compact or narrow varieties of many of our favorite evergreen trees and shrubs, so you should be able to find something that fits any limitations in your landscape.

Many ornamental grasses will keep their good looks throughout most of the winter. Some have beautiful but sturdy foliage that will stand up to the winter snow. Other species of ornamental grass have flowers and seed heads that will move in the wind. These grasses should be cut back to about 1 inch tall in late winter or very early spring before new growth begins.

There are many woody plants with interesting bark or attractive branching. Two of my favorites are Japanese maples and beech trees. Take a look at any of your own small trees or large shrubs now before they leaf out to see if some selective pruning in the next month or two will bring out their hidden beauty.

Trees with peeling or flaking bark lend texture to winter landscapes. Sycamores, paperbark maple, ninebark, river birch, lacebark (Chinese) elm and some pines are good trees to consider. Some shrubs, such as red or yellow twig dogwood, have bark that provides color in shrub beds. Keep in mind that shrubs with colored bark should be selectively pruned annually to maintain their color. The bark color changes to grey or brown as the stems age, so completely remove one-third of the branches every year (choose the oldest branches) to maintain the lovely color found on younger branches.

There are some non-plant things you can do to add to your landscape, both for wintertime and year-round interest.

Bird feeders can add beauty and interest in a landscape. The activity of resident birds that visit a feeder every day during the winter can enliven the view from a window. The type of feeder can also add visual appeal.

Strategically placed yard art, sculptures, gazing balls, fairy gardens and other hardscape features that will tolerate winter conditions are other additions you could include in your landscape.

The most important part of adding winter interest to your landscape is having a plan. Temperatures are warming, soils are thawing and nurseries will soon be offering trees, shrubs and perennials. Take the next few weeks to put together a year-by-year plan for what you’ll do to add your landscape interest.