• The bones, or structure, of the garden can look just as good in winter as in summer with the proper selection of ornamental winter plants. Colored or textured bark, berries, dried flowers and seedpods can add interest to the winter garden, as well as offer food and shelter for wildlife. Choose ornamental winter plants for the bones of the garden to create year-round interest.
  
  

Dogwood

• Showy spring flowers are often what will persuade gardeners to plant dogwoods in the garden. Hardy from USDA zones 5 though 8, these trees and shrubs have much more to offer than early spring flowers.
  
  Native to North America, the dogwood is highly adaptable, so it will thrive in sun or shade as well as in different soil conditions. Gardeners who wish to attract birds and butterflies into their landscapes should plant at least one variety of dogwood.
  
  The flowers become berries by fall, offering food for birds. Cornus mas, commonly called the Cornelian Cherry, has edible fruit that is high in vitamin C. Eat the fruit fresh, use it in preserves or for making wine.
  
  In the winter, several of the dogwoods have colored bark. Look for the red twig or the yellow twig dogwood. To keep the bark brightly colored, regular trimming is required.
  
  

Holly

• One of the most ornamental winter plants is holly. Gardeners who plant holly in their gardens often think of them as evergreen plants that will yield fresh greenery for holiday decorating. Pruning them, even in winter, will not harm the plant. In fact, pruning is necessary to keep the plant compact.
  
  Holly bushes are available with plain green leaves or variegated leaves. To get the brightly colored red berries, both a male and a female plant are required. The hardiness of holly may vary, although most varieties are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 7.
  
  Birds, squirrels and deer will eat holly berries.
  
  

Ornamental Grasses

• Grasses are a group of highly ornamental winter plants. During the summer and fall, tall grasses provide privacy in the garden. Gardeners who do not cut their ornamental grasses back until spring know that the privacy aspect continues. In addition, the plumes of the grass offer additional winter interest as well as seed for birds.
  
  When setting up the bones of the garden, choose a spot for ornamental grasses that catches the early morning or late afternoon sun, according to Suzy Bales, author of "The Garden in Winter." It is wise to choose a spot in the garden that gets frequent gentle breezes, so you can enjoy the sound of tall, rustling grass.