You can easily spot the mahogany-colored leaves of Rhododendron ‘P.J.M’. throughout the garden. More sun exposure creates more winter foliage color. This compact rhododendron grows 3-6 feet. Its long lasting lavender-pink flowers bloom in late April. They generally bloom heavily and reliably because they never set seed. P.J.M.s are among the hardiest and most shade tolerant rhododendrons.

The deep olive green of R. maximum ‘Roseum’, rosebay rhododendron, brightens the way down a set of stairs leading into the garden. Its picturesque trunks are furrowed and somewhat contorted. Among the largest of eastern rhododendron species, it has eight-inch smooth leaves arranged in a whorl at the end of each branch. They are the first to droop and curl up tightly when the temperature drops below 32F, a strategy to prevent moisture loss in leaf tissue. As the temperature rises above freezing, the leaves unfurl and look striking in the winter garden. Rosebay rhododendron grows 6-12 feet; flowers are reddish in bud, turning to pink with red stems in late June to July.

R. yakusimanum ‘Ken Janeck’ greets you in perfectly symmetrical form as you leave the rock outcropping Horseshoe Rock. This dwarf evergreen grows only 4 feet and never becomes leggy. Its finest feature is indumentum, a felt-like, wooly coating on the back of its leaves. This covering is nature’s way of protecting the plant on cold, windswept hillsides. It’s like a built in parka! Coral-pink flower buds open to soft white to delicate pink.

Most rhododendrons are hybrids and their ability to resist the cold differs remarkably. For this reason it is best to purchase them from a local nursery. Rhododendrons are low maintenance and hardy, though most do not develop full hardiness until after three seasons, so protect them for their first three winters. Rhododendrons thrive in moist, well-drained, humus-filled soil, enriched with peat moss or leaf mold, and a soil pH 4.5 – 6.0.

When walking through the garden, observe the tapestry of foliage underfoot, where green, bronze and gray intermingle with brown leaves, bare ground, soft mosses and stone. At ground level, some herbaceous plants actually prefer remaining colorful in winter.

Arum italicum commences growth in late October and stays looking fresh until spring. A native of Europe, A. italicum, a.k.a. Italian lords and ladies, is grown for its hooded spring flowers that are similar to Jack-in-the-Pulpit. During fall, a dense cluster of orange-red berries appears followed by rich green arrow-shaped leaves with creamy white patterns. A. italicum persists through winter even when covered with snow.

Another herbaceous plant with handsome winter foliage is Cyclamen hederifolium. Pink and white flowers appear before the variegated, ivy-shaped leaves that clothe the cold ground till spring when the plant goes dormant. C. hederifolium is the hardiest and easiest cyclamen species to grow. Cyclamen prefer a woodland situation. Grow them under evergreen trees to protect them from winter sun and help preserve their foliage.

Heuchera ranks high for color through much of winter. The dark purplish foliage of H. Americana ‘Dale’s Strain’ stands out while everything else has succumbed to frost or fatigue. H. villosa ‘Tiramisu’ is easy to grow and looks lovely all year. In cooler weather its chartreuse foliage has red splashes that radiate from the leaves’ midribs. During summer, the red lightens to chartreuse and develops a light silver overlay. Its late blooms are creamy-white.

Heuchera requires good drainage in winter and benefits from mulch to prevent frost heaving. Mulch also shields them from overnight lows and freezing winds much like snow, nature’s insulator. Shear off damaged leaves in early spring to make room for new foliage. Many cultivars can be found throughout the garden.

Flowers are rare in the winter garden, so it is a warm welcome when they surprise us with their grace and delicacy. A group of plants essential to the winter garden are hellebores. The genus Helleborus comprise approximately 20 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family. They have saucer-shaped, nodding flowers in subtle hues of green, white, red, pink or purple. The two most common species are Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, and Lenten rose, Helleborus x hybridus (syn. H. orientalis).

Christmas rose blooms in late winter and early spring. The spiny, dark green, leathery leaves are divided into seven to nine egg-shaped leaflets. Saucer-shaped flowers are waxy white with a central boss of yellow stamens. The leaves of Lenten rose are coarsely serrated, palmate, glossy, and divided into five to eleven lobed leaflets. The flowers range from white to deep purple and often flushed pale green or speckled with dark plum-purple spots.

Another species is Helleborus foetidus, stinking hellebore or bear’s claw. It bears loose clusters of pale green, maroon-edged, bell-shaped flowers in late winter. The dark green leaves are deeply divided into four to eleven leaflets. Despite its common name, it is not noticeably malodorous, although the foliage is pungent when crushed.

Hellebores are shade plants, though some are more tolerant of sun. They do best in well-drained soil rich in organic matter, and kept on the dry side.

- Tricia Scibilia, interpretive gardener, Leonard J. Buck Garden, Somerset County Park Commission: www.somersetcountyparks.org
**Photos by Tricia Scibilia unless otherwise noted