Forget Bare Branches: How Julianne Moore Created a Lush Winter Sanctuary in Her Backyard
Don't let your garden look like a sad patch of dirt this January. Use Julianne Moore's secret weapon to keep it thriving.
In 2016, actress Julianne Moore showed off her garden in Architectural Digest, and it wasn’t some giant spread-out space in Montecito. To our surprise, it was tucked into a tiny little enclave of the West Village, an extremely dense, urban area. However, it wasn’t designed for showy flowers but for year-round calm.
She didn’t do it all on her own, as she enlisted the help of Brian Sawyer of the architecture and landscape firm Sawyer/Berson. It features raised beds filled with boxwood, ivy, and mossy troughs that look like they’re supposed to be there even when winter strips everything else bare. We took this as proof that a winter garden doesn’t need to disappear; it just needs better bones. And, what are those bones? Tons and tons of greenery.
If your garden looks like a forgotten, sad patch of dirt from December to March, Moore’s peaceful oasis in the middle of busy New York City can give you a blueprint for building your own green space that doesn’t require much maintenance.
Get the Look
The outer wall of Julianne's house is covered in staghorn ferns, softening the space and surrounding it in green.
Natural-looking, rough-hewn planters are the name of the game in Julianne's garden. This planter is a pretty close match.
Boxwoods are everywhere in Julianne's backyard. They're easy to grow, they're winter hardy, and they're cheap! What more could you want?
Start With an Evergreen Structure
Any garden, but especially gardens in winter, will succeed or fail based on its structure, and that means evergreens. Moore’s garden features lots of boxwood that can provide clean lines and add some visual weight when the skies are gray.
Evergreen shrubs are the furniture of the garden world; when flowers go off duty, they take over and anchor the space. If you have a smaller or urban garden like Julianne Moore, you’ll want to get a slow-growing, somewhat compact variety like dwarf boxwood, inkberry holly, or Japanese plum yew. These don’t require constant pruning (because who wants to be outside in winter pruning bushes?) and they hold their shape.
This Monrovia Dwarf English boxwood from Lowe’s is perfect, as it’s slow-growing and pretty much the most adorable little shrub we’ve ever seen.
Embrace Ivy and Ground Covers
Okay, we’ll admit that ivy doesn’t have the best reputation among gardeners, especially if you plant it in the wrong place. But, if you use it correctly, especially in containers, it can be the hero of the cold season.
It can soften the hard edges of your garden, create a lovely trail over stone walls, and keep the garden looking fresh and alive when perennials die out. Pachysandra and creeping thyme (in climates with a little less cold) can also give your garden dense coverage and year-round greenery.
But, as its reputation suggests, just be careful where you plant your ivy, as it can spread quite aggressively. This English Ivy from Walmart is a great pick, and it comes in packs of 1, 3, or 4 plants.
Moss Is Your Secret Weapon
Moss thrives in shade, which is why Moore had so much of it in her urban garden. Not only does it love shade, but it also loves moisture and is practically immune to the cold of winter. It’s ideal for an urban environment that doesn’t get a lot of sunlight, especially where grass struggles to grow.
To encourage moss naturally, keep areas moist and compacted. You can also use preserved moss decoratively in troughs (like Moore did), pots, or between stones for some much-needed texture.
This trough from Amazon has exactly the sort of antique texture that looks perfect in a garden, and if the moss doesn’t work out, you can always use it for succulents
If you don’t want to wait for moss to grow naturally, you can also buy a small bit of starter moss on Amazon.
Design for Shade, Not Against It
If you’re in the middle of a big city, then it’s likely your garden is quite shady due to high walls, fences, etc. Rather than thinking of this as a flaw, take a design cue from it. Choose shade-tolerant plants like ferns, hellebores, hostas (for spring), and evergreen grasses that can fill out a garden in winter without demanding full sunshine all day long.
Since you’re probably low on space as well, think vertically. Start with moss or ground cover for lower down, add some mid-height shrubs, and then taller evergreens or even trellis vines. This will create depth in a tight space.
Add Stone for Winter Interest
When flowers die out in winter, the eye automatically looks for texture. You can get this with hardscaping – stone paths, troughs, or planters that bring some contrast to greenery, snow, or bare branches.
You can also try gravel paths, stepping stones, or a single stone bench to fill up your winter garden, and give it your own personal touch. This stone bench from Home Depot has a ton of character, including the all-important lion legs.
Low-Maintenance Is the Point
Julianne Moore’s garden works because it isn’t trying too hard. Evergreens don’t need to be replanted every year, moss doesn’t require mowing, and ivy doesn’t constantly ask for your attention. You want your winter garden to still look good while you take some much-needed rest.
