While waiting for spring to arrive, I took a trip to the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden in Seattle's Washington Park Arboretum.

Tucked away in a deep green wooded area of this urban arboretum, a "winter feast" for the senses offers striking bloom and bark colors, gorgeous textures and surprising fragrances. These are all the more worth admiring as there's little competition for our attention in the gray, cold winter months.

Credit for this garden's design belongs to Ian Roberson, a professor at the University of Washington's School of Landscape Architecture. He imagined a "woodland room" within the arboretum, one that truly celebrates the beauty of winter-interest plants and their architecture, color and form. Here are my favorite specimens. You'll want to find just the right place in your own landscape to enjoy one (or more). Debra Prinzing Midwinter fire twig dogwood (Cornus stolonifera 'Midwinter Fire')

The colorful stems blaze orange and brighten up an otherwise dark border. Debra Prinzing Debra Prinzing Coast Silktassel (Garrya elliptica)

Elegantly draped tassels appear in the winter, resembling crystal drops on a chandelier. Appreciate these long, silvery tassels up close. Debra Prinzing Chinese red birch (Betula albo-sinensis var. septentrionalis)

Admire the peeling, bright pinkish-white bark against the evergreen backdrop. Debra Prinzing Beautiful witch hazels (Hamamelis x intermedia 'Orange Beauty', right, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Pallida', left, light yellow)

Two shades of yellow-gold witch hazels create a stunning visual corridor for a woodland path. Take a deep breath — you'll love their fragrance. Debra Prinzing Hamamelis x intermedia 'Ruby Glow'

When backlit, this witch hazel is a brilliant gem in the landscape. Debra Prinzing Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Westerstede’

A delicate, vaselike form creates a sculptural effect. Debra Prinzing Hamamelis x intermedia 'Winter Beauty' + Mahonia 'Arthur Menzies'

Layering colors and textures is an effective design technique. Debra Prinzing Stewartia monadelpha with a carpet of Cyclamen coum

The tall Stewartia has cinnamon-hue bark, which glows against the bed of bright pink hardy cyclamen. Debra Prinzing Purple-leaf contorted filbert (Corylus maxima 'Atropurpurea Superba')

When its leaves are absent, you can really appreciate the contorted form of this superb ornamental filbert.

More great design plants

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Chinese Witch Hazel

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