Bright berries can provide a beautiful splash of color to your garden during the long, cold Midwestern winter while providing an important winter food source for birds and other wildlife.

Many native and naturalized shrubs produce berries that linger until midwinter or even early spring.

The classic winter shrub American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a native broadleaf evergreen with bright red berries that are popular with birds. It is hardy from zones 5-9, but can sometimes be coaxed to survive in colder climates against a wall with warm southern exposure and …

In the Midwest, when cold weather lasts for 6 or more months a year, it’s very important to design your garden so it is beautiful in winter as well as summer.

One way to add winter interest to your garden is to choose deciduous trees and shrubs with beautiful bark. There are almost as many bark textures as there are trees and shrubs in the world. Smooth bark, ridged bark, bark that looks like puzzle pieces, peeling bark, shaggy bark… And though most people think of bark as brown, bark is …

Thoughtful landscaping not only beautifies your home and adds to its resale value, it can also reduce heating costs!

Here are a few tips for saving money on heating bills with an energy efficient landscape:

Plant evergreen trees as a windbreak on the northwest side of your house. Studies have found that windbreaks can reduce heating costs by up to 20%. Windbreaks are effective for a distance of up to eight times their own height. For maximum effectiveness, use a mix of tall trees, shorter trees, and shrubs in your windbreak.
Use evergreens …