There’s a cozy blanket of snow covering the garden. The world is quiet and still as the fluffy flakes continue to pile up. The garden is resting and waiting for renewal to begin. It needs this time to “just be”. The garden embraces this season of rest.
That layer of snow can protect the plants from excessive cold, just like being wrapped in a warm woolen sweater. Organic matter left behind is breaking down and will help to supply next year’s garden with valuable nutrients. The slowly melting snow can also help to provide moisture to the plant’s roots when the winter winds are blowing.
Many of our plants need a time of cold to help with the growth of flowers and fruits. Plants such as peonies need a time of cold dormancy in order to produce flowers next spring. Without this cold period, the plants will not bloom.
As gardeners, we too can benefit from this time of rest. We can enjoy a break from the busy seasons of the garden. During winter, we not only get a physical break from the garden, but we can use this time to help generate next year’s garden plans and goals. Our dreams and ideas need time to percolate and provide us with a new garden vision.
It’s not unusual for us to fill every moment of our lives with activities, but winter points to another way. It’s a time to slow down. A time to nourish yourself, to revive your spent body, and to embrace the calmness of this season. Many of us just try to get through the winter. Instead, look at this slower season as an opportunity to prepare your mind and body for the busy seasons to come. Embrace winter just as your garden does.
5 Ways to Embrace Winter This Year…
Sleep More
Sleep is rejuvenating and in our busy lives, most of us don’t get enough of it. For many of us, sleep feels a little decadent. We sleep just enough to get by. Choosing to get plenty of sleep isn’t excessive, it’s critical to your health. Take an afternoon nap if you feel like it. Go to bed earlier each night.
Eat Warming Meals
Winter is a good time to eat comforting, warm foods. These foods warm us from the inside out. This winter, focus on eating more of these warming foods. Let your home fill with the delicious aromas of soups and stews. Serve your vegetables and fruits hot instead of cold. For example, roasted root vegetables and simmered apples instead of salads and ice-cold fruits.
Consider eating more hot cereals and casseroles for breakfast. Saute your greens rather than eat them cold. Winter is the perfect season to pull out your Crock Pot, Instant Pot, Dutch Oven or Sheet Pan to create a warm meal.
Here are a few of my favorite winter soups to enjoy:
Potato and Smoked Sausage Soup
Stay Hydrated
Be sure to get plenty of water during the winter months. Heating our homes all winter can dry us out. Extra fluid is so beneficial. Consider drinking hot beverages, however. Hot tea, bone broths, warm water with a slice of lemon or my favorite Sage, Honey and Lemon Tea can all work to keep you hydrated and healthy.
Add in Lights
Add extra lights and warmth to your home. Twinkle lights, candles, lamps, and a glowing fire can add a coziness to your winter home without the bright glare of overhead lights. During the darker days of winter, this extra lighting can help your home feel cozy. And while you’re at it, have plenty of blankets to snuggle with while you’re enjoying the flickering lights.
Get Creative
Although we are resting more, that doesn’t mean we sit idle each day. This time of burrowing in gives us the opportunity to learn a new skill or work on projects we love. During the active garden season, there’s not much time for creative activities. Now is the perfect time to knit, crochet, sew, mend, or embroider. Whether you’re making scarves, dish towels, pillow covers, or just repairing a hole, this is a time to enjoy the pleasure of crafting with your hands.
If these crafts don’t appeal to you, there are so many other creative activities to invest your time. Get out your paints and paint a picture, write in your journal, or maybe even start that book you’ve always wanted to write. Improve your musical skills. Learn a new cooking technique. Or release your inner child and purchase a coloring book.
Make Your Garden Plans As You Embrace Winter…
Winter is also the time to dream… your hopes and plans for the garden. This season of rest brings the opportunity to imagine what your garden can become this year.
Start by asking yourself a few questions:
- Do you have garden areas that need to be reworked or refreshed?
- Do you want to create new garden beds or areas?
- Should you increase the amount of produce or flowers you grow? Or do you need less?
- What are your biggest garden struggles? Not enough time, physical demands, too many weeds, to name a few?
- Have you created an overall design or plan for your garden?
Your garden is not a one and done. It’s a work in progress. Perennials die or need to be moved. Shrubs turn into bushes that need to be trimmed back. Trees might outgrow their area and need to be removed. Your goals for the garden change over time and that’s okay.
Winter is the perfect time to assess all these areas and make some decisions for this year.
Here’s a 3-Step process to help you get started...
Step 1… Get Inspired
Take time during this slow season to gather inspiration for your garden. Pull out garden books and just browse through the pages. Look through garden magazines. Even older magazines and books can inspire you with ideas for today. Spend time looking through seed catalogues. Hop onto YouTube and search for some garden videos. Don’t forget to look through your old garden planners and journals. You might discover some ideas that you’ve forgotten about.
Winter brings us the opportunity to learn more about gardening. There are always better ways to do things and reading about other people’s gardening experiences can open your eyes to the possibilities. Just like we change over time, the garden is not static. We need to understand how to keep maintaining and improving our gardens.
Step 2… Plan
Decide on a few garden goals for the year. After getting inspired, start by brainstorming all the possibilities for the garden. By the time you’re finished, your list can be quite long. Obviously, you won’t be able to complete everything on the list, but your brainstorm will give you a variety of ideas to choose from. Pick 1 or 2 major projects and a few smaller goals for the year. Keep your brainstorming list in your garden planner in case you end up with extra time this summer.
Step 3… Organize
During this respite of winter, get organized for these projects. Use this time to map out the steps for each project. Go back through some of your garden books or research videos and look for ways to accomplish that goal. Talk to gardeners in your neighborhood to learn the steps they took. Make lists and purchase supplies. Order your seeds and summer bulbs now. Don’t wait until spring or the seeds you want might be sold out.
Make a list of new tools you need and purchase as they go on sale. Start saving for any expensive purchases. Research companies you might need for building projects. Estimate your project costs as well. You might need to eliminate a project or work in stages if it’s out of your budget this year.
As you’re getting organized, this can be a good time to create a clean slate by decluttering. Maybe you need to clean up your seed packets, organize your garden tools or declutter your potting bench. Getting rid of the excess can give you more room to breathe. Decluttering your garden shed helps you to prepare your mind and space for the upcoming garden season.
When you take the time to dream, plan, and organize, you’ll be one step closer to the spring garden season.
Inspiring Ideas to Embrace the Winter Season…
Here are a few other posts that might inspire you as you embrace winter.
10 Simple Activities Every Gardener Should Do This Winter
Follow These 4 Simple Steps For Your Best Garden Year Ever
Looking Forward To An Amazing New Year In The Garden
The Best Flower Gardening Books You Need To Inspire You This Year
3 Indoor Winter Gardening Ideas
5 Ways to Cope With the End of the Gardening Season
The slowly falling snow creates a blanket that is insulating your garden while it takes a well-deserved rest. Your garden needs time to recharge. And we need that time to rest, renew and recharge as well. Embrace winter and enjoy the respite. It will be over before you know it!