one: “Cornus 'Ivory Halo' or Tatarian Dogwood is a medium-sized shrub for every season but puts on a stunning finale in the winter months. It has beautiful variegated leaves and white blooms in the spring and summer, berries in the fall and brilliant red stems to brighten the winter landscape. The cut red stems are perfect for holiday decorating.” Sarah Riley, Bowood Farms.

two: “The Winter Orange Japanese Maple stands out from many other deciduous trees by being able to provide year-round interest. Foliage goes from orange in the spring to lime green with orange margins for the summer to orange again in the fall. However, your landscape keeps a pop of color as the orange lives on in the bark once the leaves drop.” Andria Graeler, Chesterfield Valley Nursery. 

three: "We love the Silky Dogwood because it has bright red stems for months on end. This native shrub can also be trimmed and used ornamentally in winter cutting porch pots. For best results, prune it to the ground every other year, as new growth has the boldest color." Laura Caldie, Greenscape Gardens.

four: “Every home looks more alive through the winter when there are evergreens in the landscaping. For this, boxwoods are my go to. There are tall pyramidal boxwoods to flank a front walk, dense, dark-green boxwood to use along a foundation wall and variegated boxwoods to add a soft pop of color." Katy Scott, Green Guys.

five: “My favorite is Witch Hazel, which usually blooms in February. The flowers are crinkled fringes on bare branches and come in yellow, burnt orange, to red.  The best part is the enticing sweet smell of the blooms you catch when walking by them.” Claire Weiss, Frisella Nursery.