Dormancy as a Feature, Not a Bug

Don't Knock the Stalks

Some winter garden gospel that most of us have internalized:

• Clean up any dead stuff, as though it’s evidence of a crime.

• Load up on evergreens, cuz what else will there be to look at?

But what if … hear me out now … we planned our gardens to highlight the surprising winter beauty of perennial plants?

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) backed by golden grasses. Photo by Lolly Jewett.

Instead of evergreen monoscapes that look identical whether it’s July or February, we’d get the anticipation and excitement of views that evolve from season to season. More importantly, we’d be preserving critical habitat and food for overwintering insects, mammals and birds. Many invertebrates make cold-weather homes in hollow stems, branches and brush piles. Others nestle into fallen leaves on the ground. Seed heads of native flowers and grasses provide a critical food cache for hungry birds.

Some of the most renowned contemporary landscapes are in fact conceived “from the winter out.” Designers in the “new perennial” movement often build their plant palettes from a starting point of species that provide structural or color interest after leaves have dropped and blossoms have faded. It’s only later in the design process – once the winter foundation has been established – that they focus on warm-weather flower forms and hues.

Piet Oudolf, who designed the High Line and the Delaware Botanic Gardens meadow, is a master at this approach. On a recent raw and overcast day, I found proof-of-concept at the Oudolf-designed Lurie Garden in downtown Chicago.

A tapestry of golds and silvers at the Lurie Garden. Photo by Lolly Jewett.

Care for some polka dots with your pinstripes? Seed heads of purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpureum).  Photo by Lolly Jewett.

Botanical filigree – as interpreted by nature and Florentine paper artists, respectively. Top photo by Lolly Jewett.

Tiny fluffy seed heads on the coppery stalks of little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). Photo by Lolly Jewett.

The setting for an exotic fairy tale…? Photo by Lolly Jewett.

…and its sequel? Photo by Lolly Jewett.

The chocolatey seed heads of Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum). Photo by Lolly Jewett.

Just as in summer, using a human scale and providing thoughtful framing with paths, borders and walls can contribute orderliness to an otherwise relaxed and naturalized effect. Photo by Lolly Jewett.

A wind-stirred rhythm section of an Agastache species (I think). Photo by Lolly Jewett.

Hard to believe this is November in the Windy City, amirite? Photo by Lolly Jewett.

We’ve already talked here about forsaking those rakes and leaving leaves on the ground. The moral of this post is: don’t knock the stalks. Leave them up over the winter. Wait to indulge your tidying impulses until, say, late March, just before new growth emerges. And as you daydream about new spring plantings, consider adding native perennials with an eye toward the color, structure, excitement and wildlife habitat they’ll add to your garden next winter.

I’m sharing this song for the simple reason that it reminds me of friendships that warmed a chilly visit to Chicago.