A truly great garden does not take the winter off, and mastering the art of a landscape that captivates for all twelve months is the focus of an upcoming live educational event. Garden designer and writer Jay Sifford is set to lead an exclusive live webinar exploring how thoughtful landscape design can keep outdoor spaces compelling throughout the entire year. Scheduled for October 16, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. EDT, the session aims to help gardeners look past the traditional growing season and reimagine their landscapes as dynamic, living spaces that offer visual intrigue year-round.
During the online event, Sifford will reveal how careful integration of structure, bark, berries, foliage, texture, and seasonal blooms can weave together a landscape that always has something to say, even during the quietest winter months. Rather than treating the colder months as an inevitable offseason of bare branches and dormant earth, the upcoming presentation encourages horticulturists and landscape enthusiasts to view this period as a unique design opportunity.
Get Expert Tips for Creating a Garden with Year-Round Interest
Drawing directly from his comprehensive online learning course for Fine Gardening, titled "The Four Cornerstones of Great Garden Design," Sifford will demonstrate how to use storytelling, art, and a touch of creative magic to influence plant selections for continuous appeal. Participants will learn how foundational elements such as strategic layering and well-placed hardscapes work in tandem with living plants. As the vibrant show of one season winds down, these foundational layers ensure that the next visual chapter is already beginning to unfold.
The lively class is designed to provide actionable insights for both amateur gardeners and seasoned landscapers looking to elevate their outdoor environments. By understanding how to balance structural elements with seasonal plant performance, attendees will gain the knowledge needed to eliminate the stark seasonal gaps that often plague residential landscapes. Registration for the live event is currently open, offering participants the chance to engage directly with the material and rethink the long-term potential of their property.
Professional Background and Further Resources
Jay Sifford is an award-winning garden designer and writer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. His distinctive design work has been featured numerous times in the pages of Fine Gardening, establishing him as a prominent voice in contemporary horticulture. Furthermore, his expertise and dedication to the craft were recognized when he was voted Charlotte’s "Best of Houzz" landscape designer in 2024.
For those looking to expand their horticultural library and gardening practices beyond the upcoming webinar, several complementary resources and recommended products are available through Fine Gardening. Gardeners seeking to enhance their container displays can look to items such as the Sunnydaze 14-Inch Round Lava-Finish Ceramic Plant Pot. Crafted from durable ceramic in a vibrant green hue, this outdoor planter features a one-of-a-kind lava finish, measuring 14 inches in diameter at the outer top and standing 11 inches high with a soil capacity of just over three gallons.
To help track seasonal progress, planting schedules, and garden triumphs, the Gardener’s Log Book from the New York Botanical Garden offers a weatherproof, five-year resource designed to withstand the rigors of outdoor use. Featuring a sturdy waterproof cover to protect pages from rain and muddy soil, the log book includes lined pages, gridded paper for plotting garden beds, and five years of 12-month bloom and harvest grids. It also provides authoritative appendices covering essential topics such as composting, pruning, pest and disease control, container gardening, and seasonal reminders on fertilizing and mulching.
For enthusiasts interested in expanding their ecological understanding of native landscapes, The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees provides a deep dive into the complex web of life supported by oak trees. Written by renowned expert Doug Tallamy, the book explores month-by-month ecological cycles—from acorn-storing woodpeckers to the life cycles of local insects—while offering practical guidance on how to select, plant, and care for the best oak species suited to specific geographic regions.
