A Closer Look at Winter Color...

a sweetgum grove of winter shades 

It's  January, the month where everyone seems to have self diagnosed themselves with Seasonal Affective Disorder; we're all just SAD. It's no wonder we are because for every month leading up to January, we have experienced such visual sensations in the landscape that we cannot help but feel a bit more invigorated. There has been the bright blooms of spring, summer greens, and a decadence of yellows and reds in the fall. Yet, come January and our fall landscape colors are now brown leaves crunching below our winter boots, the glorious lights of the holidays have faded and we simply seem to be holding our breath for Spring.

Despite its reputation as a hum drum, dull month January actually offers a wide palette of shades, tints and hues of all colors....you just have to look a bit closer. In fact, set amidst the browns and grays of winter, January's colors are quite vibrant, quite spectacular, and quite invigorating.

a january blue sky 

"Good luck with that." I heard my dad voice as I announced we were off to photograph the colors of January.  It was the weekend following the polar vortex, which took everyone's SAD to the next level by a touch of frost bite and bipolar disorder. This particular Saturday offered a day of temps in the 50's and a sky so blue that the lyrics to The Allman Brother's Blue Sky come alive. I decided to get outside and challenge myself and see if we (the Pegs and I) could discover a sample complete of every color on the color wheel....a ROY G. BIV sample if you will.

commons.wikimedia.org 

If you recall the color lessons of elementary school, ROY G. BIV stands for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. Variances in these hues (original color) are value (brightness), tints (white added) shades (black added), and saturation (color's intensity).

shades and tints demonstrated on this fence post

So without further adieu, here are the hues of January, brought to you by Carroll County. 

Red: 

berries of a sumac

a lingering red maple leaf 

 Orange: 

an oak stump 

some fungi 

some orange moss

Yellow: 

a yellow bamboo leaf 

yellow/green moss

Green: 

green lichen

green honeysuckle leaf 

green and white fungi

green needles on a bed of leaves

eastern red cedar

Blue: 

blue lichen

blue lichen

Indigo: (a bit of a stretch, but again...a different shade)

a leaf with indigo variegation

Violet:

purple branch with peg's purple boots

bamboo 

purple leaves

purple leaves

Each season offers us different variations in hues in/on/around different parts of our plants. Although winter doesn't offer the brightness or intensity of leaves and blooms on plant material, it portrays the softer tints and shades of plant components that often get overlooked. Winter allows the overlooked parts of plants to shine, the bark, berries, and smaller details that are overshadowed by the bold a beautiful flowers and leaves. 

More than likely, you're not going to have stumps, lichen or a few colorful leaves scattered about your landscape during the winter...but if you do, fantastic. If not, look a bit closer to what our most common landscape plants can offer during the winter months.

 berries of a nandina

Our most common landscape plants can offer some of the greatest visual treats in the winter. Consider the red berries of Hollies (Ilex) and Nandinas (Nandina domestica) or the bluish black ones of Ligustrums (Ligustrum japonicum, not Ligustrum sinense) or Indian hawthorns (Rhapiolepis indica). 

ligustrum

indian hawthorn

Set a midst a deep evergreen backdrop, these berries have a chance to add a much needed color pop in the winter. 

gold brown foliage of a miscanthus spp. 

Continue to look past our evergreens and bright berries to the features of deciduous and perennial plants. The golden brown foliage of our ornamental grasses glistens in the winter sun. The bark of our beloved Crepe Myrtles and Oakleaf Hydrangeas offers not only deep red and brown color, but varying textures as well. 

When it comes to our landscape designs, it's critical for one to not forget about the potential the winter has for visual interest in  our landscapes. Just because the intensity may be less, doesn't mean that winter lacks in color in our landscapes. Color is a major component of our landscapes and should be closely looked at throughout all seasons of design. 

mass of nandinas

When it comes to winter color, the components of color are often smaller (berries, bark, leaves) and should be massed to create an impact. 

Hang in there, although there's another mini-vortex with no chance of snow...which is a redeeming feature of winter, there is still beauty to be found in your landscape....just look a bit closer! 

Pecans, Acorns, & Berries, Oh My

 Overflowing 40 lb. bag of Pecans

Side Note: Before we get started, let's set the record straight. This article talks about our Pecan crops. As in a Pe-cahn, not a Pee-can. Because as my great grandmother always said, " A Pee-can is something you find under your grandmother's bed." 

This Fall/Winter the Delta experienced a somewhat rare natural phenomenon; one whose occurrence remains a mystery to those of who study the natural world for a living...money growing on trees. Yes, it's true. Our pecan and acorn crops were quite prolific this year. Align them with prices of .85-$1.00/lb and you pretty much have money growing on trees.

One of the Pecan pickers for our orchard at the farm

As it turns out, we have been experiencing a "mast year" for our native nut producers.  A "mast year" is when fruit producing trees and shrubs produce a significant amount of fruit (mast). This process can also be called masting. It's as if the stars aligned just right causing our oaks to produce record numbers of acorns and our pecans to produce record numbers of pecans.

What causes a mast crop?
Without going into grave ecological detail, the oldest theory is based on the fact that seed output varies because the plant's available resources vary. And based on our drought conditions (lack of the water resources) this summer, it makes sense that these plants felt threatened and went into mass production mode...a natural "Hail Mary" for reproduction.

Signs posted at the Fulton's orchard

The mast year proved to be a bit of a headache for those who own pecan orchards or who deer hunt. Throughout the highways of the Delta, pecan trees are littered with "no trespassing" signs. To those not from the area, you may think we don't approve of others climbing our trees or that our dogs reside in our pecan trees... But in a year when money did practically grow on trees, "no trespassing" was the closest manufactured sign we could get to "don't pick my pecans". I had the pleasure of visiting with Martha and Roy Fulton who have utilized these signs with success. The Fultons are still picking up pecans in their orchard on Highway 82. They had gathered a draw dropping number of pecans from their 1 acre orchard. This was after they had lost some trees due to the seep water from our high water levels this spring. Their orchard backs up to the levee. The Fulton's have had issues with people not only stealing pecans, but littering and  taking items from their barn.

 Martha & Roy gathering a day's harvest

If you were to decide to gather up some pecans, the state of Mississippi would not tolerate it. According to my friend, John L. Herzog Jr, Esq., at the District Attorney's office in Greenville, the stealing of pecans had the police and sheriff dispatched on numerous occasions. So we decided to check out the statute:

§ 97-17-89. Trespass; destruction or carrying away of vegetation, etc. not amounting to larceny 

   Any person who shall enter upon the closed or unenclosed lands of another or of the public and who shall willfully and wantonly gather and unlawfully sever, destroy, carry away or injure any trees, shrubs, flowers, moss, grain, turf, grass, hay, fruits, nuts or vegetables thereon, where such action shall not amount to larceny, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars ($ 500.00), or be imprisoned not exceeding six (6) months in the county jail, or both; and a verdict of guilty of such action may be rendered under an indictment for larceny, if the evidence shall not warrant a verdict of guilty of larceny, but shall warrant a conviction under this section.

 Ilex latifolia (Lusterleaf Holly)

Yet, it appears this mast year in the Delta is not just within our tree species. The woody ornamentals, such as Hollies, Ligustrums, Cedars, Nandinas and any other species that produce a fruit have been following in step with our tree species and seem to be laden with berries. Berries in the winter time are always beautiful, as they provide vibrant pops of color amidst a sea of browns, grays, and deep greens.  Not only do they provide a sight for sore, cold eyes, certain species provide food for many of out native bird and animal species.

Nandina domestica (Nandina)

With some nibbles missing...

And although the mast crops caused problems for some farmers & sportsmen, it created some stunning landscape shrubs for homeowners. Whether it is a mast year or not, plants that produce berries are always a great choice for you landscape. As I mentioned earlier, they are a beacons of color during these months when we have some extremely dull colors out there. Not only that, but many of our berry producing plants are excellent evergreen selections for screens, foundation, and structural plantings.

 

Ligustrum lucidum (Glossy Privet)
Enjoy the berries, but don't plant....

 

Ilex decidua or Ilex verticillata...Possumhaw or Winterberry

Excellent deciduous holly selections. 

Ilex Cornuta (Chinese Holly)

Protected by this momma mockingbird 24/7.

The American Horticulture Society recommended a few more shrubs with fall/winter berries in their latest issue of The American Gardener:

Hollies (Ilex spp.)*

Firethorns (Pyracantha spp.)

Chokeberries (Aronia spp.)*

Spicebush (Lindera spp.)*+

Beautyberries (Callicarpa spp.)*

Mahonias (Mahonia spp.)

Sumacs (Rhus spp.)

Viburnums (Viburnum spp.)+

*Indicates native species available

+Indicates certain species are great for attracting bird

Just when you thought landscapes were dull this time of year, they can really surprise you. Take a look around your neighborhood and enjoy the shrubs with beautiful berries and trees with an abundance of fruit, but whatever you do, don't take them for yourself because we carry shotguns around here.... 

Plants to "Tie You Over"

In the South, our days revolve around meals. At breakfast, we debate what lunch may be and and lunch we debate our dinner selections. It's easy to say, that down here we are always looking ahead. Yet, for the in between times, when hunger strikes, every southern mother, grandmother, or head cook can be heard saying, "just eat a little bite to tie ya over." (In some areas the saying goes "to tide you over", yet as an Auburn graduate, I avoid the word tide whenever possible). Where this phrase originated is a myth, but the saying has made it onto the pages of Urban Dictionary. Here it is defined as a verb, meaning (tr) to help to get through (a period of difficulty, distress, etc.). A saying with serious implications if you ask me.

Well this time of year, we are all seriously getting tired of the gray, cold, damp weather that seems to move into the Delta and even more sick of the teasing 70 degree days that hide on the calendar.  During these days, we get a brief glimpse of spring temperatures, just to be bombarded with sleet the next day...all part of living in the Southeast. So what can be done to "tie us over" until Spring really arrives? The answer is quite simple, bring some plants inside; small potted ones that can adorn your table, desk, or bookshelves. This way, little glimmers of what to come are visible throughout these winter days. 

We've all received containers, pots, pottery, and other objects whose sole purpose is to hold something. They've appeared as Christmas gifts, wedding gifts, or "had to have it" gifts to ourselves. Now, instead of sitting empty, they can hold a glimpse of spring a get you through the distressing winter days that are here for another 2 months.

For my office and around the house, we visited Ms. Morgan's flower stand at the local Kroger, where you can find a great selection of bulbs. We also checked out the selection at other local nurseries and garden centers and came up with a great mix of green plants, and spring bulbs. Don't be afraid to try color and texture combinations when it comes to green house plant selection.
 

So, as we do in the South, start looking ahead to those vibrant spring colors, but until then find a little something to "tie ya over."

Don't forget to check and make sure your plants will have adequate drainage and to remember to water!