Even though most plants outside have gone ormant, the gardener need not become detached from his garden. There is a lot to enjoy from the spaces we have created in our home landscape. And there is also a lot we can learn.

There is so much to see in the winter. During the growing season, the garden is filled with a mass of foliage and flowers that can cover a multitude of sins. In the wintertime, you can pick out the individual trees, the buildings, hedges, trellises, benches, fences and the lines of paths and garden beds. Stipped bare of the foliage and flowers, form and structure or the "bones" of the garden become very evident. In the winter the fundamentals of garden design become very important and visible. Thus it is a great time to assess the structural elememts of your garden space.

Take some time to evaluate the bones of your garden. Look for places where structural changes can be made. Explore how your garden can be enriched by changing the shapes of beds, adding a backdrop of shrubs or trees, ro redirecting a path. Often small additions or changes will provide benefit to the entire garden all year long.

Winter is also a great time to look for places and ways to add winter interest to your garden. You can create continued interest during winter by using off season performers. There are many wonderful hardy plants that can provide beauty in the winter garden whether experienced from outside or enjoyed through the windows. Although you can not plant them now, here are a few ideas for you to consider

Conifers have arresting shapes and subtle colors year round. Junipers, firs, spruces and members of the Chamaecyparis offer foliage in shades of green, gold, blue and bronze.

Needled evergreens can be spiky or soft; stiff needles catch tufts of snow, while plant foliage droops beneath its weight and gives a different effect.

Broadleaf evergreens offer variety in size, leaf shape and color. Hollies, Rhododendrons, Kalmia, Inkberry and Boxwood all provide an enduring green to the winter garden.

Dedicuous trees have much to contribute in pattern, outline and bark texture. their shape and stature become very apparent, especially against a bed of snow. Bark color and texture is more noticeable. The beautiful cinnamon colored exfoliating bark of the River Birch stands out in the winter landscape.

Certain shrubs come into focus better without their foliage. The deciduous hollies are eye-catching only when the black twigs are crowded with red fruits and their leaves have fallen. There are many kinds of berried shrubs to choose from. Other shrubs provide winter interest with bark color and shape. The red and yellow twigged dogwood are good examples. Others such as the Witchhazel (featured in this month's Plant Gallery) come into bloom during the winter.

While woody plants take the stage during the winter season, many herbaceous perennials can still provide interest. A few are evergreen, such as Yucca, Helleborus, Bergenia and some ferns. Others die to the ground, but th evestiges of last season's growth can be attractive through the winter months. Ornamental grasses are the best example, providing structure, form and sound as they rustle in the wind.

Don't forget one of the easiest ways to provide winter interest and color in the garden is to invite your feathered friends in. Bird feeders, heated bird baths and plants that provide winter food and shelter will all help to bring wildlife to your yard and add enjoyment.