Bark.
It is so tempting, when designing a garden, to start with the pretty stuff. You know, the flowers that captivate us with their colors and fragrance. While there is nothing wrong with beautiful flowers, a good design must start with the bones. Especially in New England where winters can seem long. Trees are a beautiful asset to the winter landscape and, like bones, can hold things together.
Those with beautiful bark are especially welcome in my garden designs. Consider the Japanese maple (Acer griseum). I have one in my garden and sited it just so its exfoliating cinnamon-colored bark could be backlit by the setting sun. Another beauty, Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamillia), has multi-colored bark, as well as camellia-like summer blooms and reliable red fall color. Coral bark maple (Acer palmatum) is another winner for the winter landscape with bright red stems that glow after it drops its golden-yellow and crimson leaves in autumn. The high-gloss, coppery-brown bark of Tibetan cherry (Prunus serrula) makes quite a statement in the winter landscape.
Other trees with interesting bark include Snakebark maple (Acer davidii), Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora), and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) – although you will need lots of room as this one gets BIG. I think the most amazing bark I have ever seen is the Rainbow eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta); it took my breath away at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. Unfortunately it is not hardy in our zone so you will have to plan a trip to Florida to see it yourself!
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