I've never thought much about planting for winter beauty, until I walked around my new neighborhood admiring the shapes and colors of dormant plants. As I plan for new spring plantings, I would like to incorporate winter beauty. Bunnies seem to like the tall grasses and birds look for food on bushes with berries throughout the year.
By the end of the summer, my strawberry patch is overgrown with Nasturtium. I accidentally found that leaving the spent vines over winter, they act like straw to protect the berry plants. The vines are light and airy and do not smother or create a moldy mess. Since strawberries are early and Nasturtium matures much later, they do not compete for space, and they help keep the strawberries cool and protected from the sun.