Our winter installations have been accompanied by better than 12 inches of snow in the past week. The snow came on top of several week’s worth of bitter cold weather. I am surprised to have this much snow and bitter cold in mid December, but so be it. Fortunately most of the construction for our winter installations are done in our heated to 60 degrees shop stock room. A warm, well lit and dry place means we are able to focus on the work, and not on the inhospitable weather. What I had planned for this very lovely house would be much more wintry than holiday in feeling. My clients travel. For that reason, among others, winter pots and exterior decor that that would carry them through the long Michigan winter seemed like a good idea. The architecture of the swooping roof of the entrance porch is unusual, and striking. We had plans to make much of that particular detail. A garland would describe and celebrate that roof line. I did decide to extend the garland past the ends of that roof line and downward, like oversized tassels. I like how the drop of the garland embraces the house numbers on the roof pillar. A garland that drops has an undeniably traditional feeling. Garlands that describe a horizontal surface sans drop have a more contemporary feeling. It seems like contemporary expressions are striking for their brevity, and more traditional ones are more generous with the details and materials.
The blue/gray shingles and white trim offered much in the way of a color inspiration. Fresh cut stems of red bud pussy willow and fan willow were captured by eucalyptus in a color we call Rain. White faux berry branches echoed the white trim. The house is set in an informal and naturally imagined large piece of property. This past spring we redid the landscape in the front of the house in a much more formal way. The contrast of the entrance formality to the natural setting appealed to my clients. They did purchase a pair of round Barry tapers from Branch, as well as some custom made window boxes set on the ground in front of a pair of matching windows. The landscape at the front of their house this summer was beautifully lush with contrasting shrubby and perennial materials. I planned for a similar look for the winter.
The generously sized window boxes were stuffed with greens and lights. In the center of each window, a light ring was highlights with cut alder branches and white berry picks. The garland and the pair of pots at the drive would also have lighting.The lighting was particularly important to my clients. They enjoy going outside at dusk with their dog for some fresh air. Lighting the way in the winter is a good idea for anyone who lives in a northern climate. Landscape lighting is decorative. Illustrative. Seasonal lighting can supplement the permanent lighting in a useful and beautiful way.
This galvanized dolly tub stuffed with pussy willow, rain eucalyptus and white berry picks had LED string lights nestled into the greens.
The pair of these tubs arranged for winter are elegantly sober and subdued during the day. At night, these greens lighted tubs help guide the way in closer to the ground level.
Lighted window box
The pots after a heavy snow
The resulting ice on the garland illustrates why we take so much care in the construction. Nature can really dish it out.
The winter landscape here would be very spare without the pots and garland.
ready for winter
