Gardeners Around The Country
As I talk to avid gardeners around the country, even some of the most enthusiastic of the bunch welcome winter’s respite. Winter offers the perfect break to put down the tools, soak those aching muscles and take the opportunity to rest, reflect and plan.
In The Garden
I admit that sounds really good to me, too, at least the resting part. There never seems to be enough time for that. But for me, winter offers a unique perspective in the garden, and a fleeting chance to make some improvements that only reveal themselves at this time of year.
So for those not willing to hang up the trowel for winter, there are plenty of gardening-related activities — inside and out – to stay busy with until spring arrives. Here are some of my favorite things that help keep my hands in the dirt during the colder months:
– Study your garden. If you’ve never used this time of year to do some serious garden planning, I highly recommend it! From the warmth and comfort of the indoors, pad and pencil in one hand, hot cup of coffee or tea in the other, I’m lost in my dream garden for hours. It’s this time of year when the landscape opens up, and the true bones and structure are revealed. Open your perspective to a wider vista, and you will notice things about it that you like — or things that don’t seem in harmony with your desired look. In either case, you will learn much if you allow yourself the time to sit quietly and take it all in.
– Get out there. It is equally important to be outside among your plants and trees. Get underneath and look up and from all around. You’ll see things you never noticed before. This is the best time to put your tree saws and pruners to work. Shape and form trees now, and be sure to remove dead or diseased branches and inward-growing, competing and crossing limbs, and even tackle those invasive vines that become nearly invisible in the protective cover of a tree in full summer canopy.
– Make the most of seed catalogs. When not much else is going on outside, I can’t think of a better way to scratch my gardening itch than by paging through all the new catalogs as I contemplate my best garden yet. Even better, they are a great resource for learning about new varieties or just brushing up on the particulars of some old classics. Just be careful not to go overboard. Caught up in the enthusiasm of the next planting season, it’s too easy to order way more than you’ll plant. One of the best things about ordering seeds this way is that you can find and grow varieties you may not be able to get at your local garden center. But do order early. Best sellers go quickly.
– Start seeds indoors. About 60 days before the last expected frost, I get busy planting seeds in flats and pampering them until the day I can set them in the garden. I can’t think of a better way to start my gardening activities so early in the cycle.
– Grow herbs indoors. As long as you have a sunny window, herbs should do fine all through the winter, along with the added benefit of using them in the kitchen. There’s nothing like the aroma and taste of fresh herbs to enliven the flavors of favorite winter recipes. And you can’t beat the convenience of snipping off what you need, just a few feet away.
– Plant cool-season crops outdoors. Vegetables such as spinach, turnips, kale and cabbage planted in a cold frame (typically a wooden frame covered by a clear top) will allow you to enjoy extreme gardening all through winter. A cold frame properly sited and insulated retains a tremendous amount of heat and is quite capable of providing a productive environment for growing fresh herbs and veggies in otherwise impossible conditions.
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