Marlene Dietrich suited her movie era. The highlights and shadows of monochrome did wonders for her face; all architectural angles and arches. In the same way, many plants that show off their best when dusted with snow. Their sharp lines or textured qualities zing, or their unexpected winter colour glows.
Snow has the same effect as black & white movies.. it focuses your eye on shapes and forms, rather than the jumbled greenness we often lazily take in. If you want to check if your garden has enough architectural interest, take a black & white photo of it in mid-summer. Are there enough columns, spikes or domes amongst that fluffy foliage? And come winter, will there be enough leaf, bark or berry to see you handsomely through to spring?
Here are a few winter wonders I spotted today: