Garden visit: White snow against green leaves at Therese’s

A fresh, light dusting of snow gives the garden a soft and fresh appearance.

The mix of wicker materials, black, white, and wood against evergreen elements is consistent in Therese’s classic garden style during the winter.

– The garden is beautiful when it’s covered in snow. The flower beds are no longer visible, but the trees and shrubs stand out more clearly. The most beautiful sight is when frost settles on the trees, making it look like their branches are white. The transition when the snow melts and last year’s garden emerges is a somewhat sad sight, but it doesn’t take long before some sprouts appear here and there, and then spring feels very close, says Therese. She has deliberately planted crocuses where the snow melts first, which makes spring arrive extra early.

– It’s incredibly cozy to toast marshmallows over the fire pit or build snowmen with the kids in winter. The garden has something to offer all year round; you just have to dress for it, she says.

Winter also serves as a recharge for spring for Therese, a break from gardening where she can plan next year’s garden. And it’s needed, as this lady is a bit more than the average garden enthusiast.

– I try to keep it at a level that can be balanced with husband, kids, friends, and work. But I realize that sometimes I go a little overboard, she says.

There’s so much fun to be had in the winter garden! Therese and the kids love building snowmen when the snow is just right.

Even though it’s snowing outside, Therese usually starts a taste of spring indoors by looking for seeds and bulbs online. She especially enjoys ordering dahlia bulbs early. She remembers one morning sitting with her youngest on her lap while she was busy online trying to secure some special varieties during a dahlia release.

“The website crashed because there were so many dahlia enthusiasts online at the same time. I got extremely stressed. Let’s just say my youngest was dropped off at daycare late that day,” she laughs.

Already in January, the first seeds usually go into the soil, typically giant verbena and morning glory.

“Soon I’ll start sowing cosmos and sweet peas and pre-cultivating dahlias. Sweet peas can tolerate a few degrees below zero, so they’re among the first plants to move out into the garden.”

Every winter, Therese makes wreaths—not just for Christmas, but also to decorate the front door and the kitchen wall during the rest of the dark season.

“It’s important to me to have evergreen shrubs in the garden, like boxwood, cherry laurel, and yew. On top of that, I’m lucky enough to be allowed to prune my side of the neighbor’s thuja hedge. These shrubs stay green all year and are perfect for making wreaths and decorations. Dried flowers from the garden, like kniphofia, everlasting silver flower, and hydrangea, are lovely to use for decoration. It’s nice to have some gardening projects to keep busy with during the winter too.”

One of Therese’s many winter wreaths decorates the family’s front door. It’s especially fun that she made it herself. Most of it is made from leaves from her own garden.

Now, at the end of February, the days are starting to get longer, and the temperature has begun creeping up toward zero on some days. Nature is slowly waking up, and the white snowdrops have just started appearing in some of the sunniest spots. To really enjoy these little wonders from the living room window, Therese digs up a few with their roots and a good clump of soil and transfers them into pots on the terrace table.

A nearby pussy willow has just begun to produce catkins, and a bouquet of them has been placed in a vase to decorate the terrace alongside lanterns and branches that Therese has forced indoors, which are now starting to sprout small green leaves.

Therese has dug up some of the first snowdrops with their roots and a clump of soil and planted them in pots so the little wonders can be enjoyed from the living room window.

The family enjoys feeding the birds throughout the winter. They provide peanuts and sunflower seeds at three different feeding stations around the outdoor space.

“The small birds bring life and activity to the garden and provide lovely entertainment. I stop feeding them in the spring, but they continue to visit throughout the rest of the year, eating pests and happily taking a dip in our birdbaths. Our mock orange was heavily infested with aphids during the first years we lived here, but since I started feeding the birds, the aphids have completely disappeared. That’s why our little, chirping friends are welcome all year round!”

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