Inkberry, winterberry, Chinese holly, pyracantha, little gem magnolia, rhododendron, dwarf blue spruce

Evergreens are an excellent backdrop to highlight your cottage flowers.

I planted a couple of native red osier dogwood for winter interest. Birds and pollinators love this plant Spring through Fall and in winter, it has beautiful red stems. I got 3 red osier dogwood seedlings from Fairfax Releaf for free. Their website says they will be taking orders in October. The VA department of Forestry also sells various seedlings at a very reasonable price in the Spring and Fall.

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cornus-sericea/common-name/red-osier-dogwood/

+1 Inkberry but it depends on what side of the house.

I love native grasses with winter interest. I'm in a different area, but things like karl foerster or feather grass.

You could mix native evergreens and native deciduous plants that provide winter interest. With varying heights. How much sun and shade do you have?

Evergreens:

-Inkberry holly. Grows 5-8 feet high and can take from full sun to full shade.

-Alumroot (Heuchera americana). Grows 1-2 feet high and can take part sun to shade. Foliage is evergreen and it shoots up blooms in the spring.

-Golden ragwort (packera aurea)! Easy to grow in sun or shade, foliage is evergreen, blooms yellow flowers in early spring, will spread nicely for some groundcover. Grows about a foot high.

Deciduous with winter interest:

- Chokeberrry - comes in different height and has red berries in winter.

-Winterberry Holly - Does best in full sun. Female produce berries in winter. Looks beautiful against snow.

There are also some native evergreen ferns that might look good in the mix. Could provide more ideas depending on your sun and deer situation, plus how close your windows are to the ground.

I did some foundation work and had to rip out a lot of things that I hated anyway. Any ideas? I’m going for a cottage garden look but I want it to be easy. If it’s native to this area that’s a plus.