Winter might be here to stay, but that doesn’t mean you need to pack up your gardening gloves and put your tools away until springtime rolls around. With a little creativity—and just the right plans—you can keep the gardening spirit alive, all winter long. So read on for some of the hottest winter gardening ideas to kick out the cold-weather blues.
Tidy Up Your Gardening Space
Sure, it might not actually be gardening—but it’s close enough. Winter’s the perfect time to take stock of your tools and current gardening workspace. Get to tidying up your shed, make sure your tools are in top shape, and organize your gardening spaces to ensure your spring endeavors go off without a hitch.
And don’t forget your actual garden! If the ground hasn’t frozen over, tackle those lingering weeds. Pick up any fallen branches or other debris that might have blown in with the winter wind. Doing all this now will save you a massive headache once growing season rolls around.
Apply Some Mulch
If you didn’t get around to layering on mulch in the fall, now’s the time. Mulch not only helps your drab beds look just a little bit better, but it helps your soil—and perennial plants—thrive. It acts as a protective barrier for your garden beds, ensuring your soil stays properly hydrated and healthy throughout those long, cold months. Even better? It helps prevent your perennials’ roots from freezing over.
So, once those dry and windy periods give way to warmer, longer days, you can get right to planting—and enjoying your even-more-beautiful perennials.
Invite Winter Wildlife into Your Yard
While chilly weather might limit your ability to enjoy some gardening, you still can enjoy the best of the backyard life. Especially the sights and sounds of our fine feathered friends in—and around—your gardens.
Bring life to your backyard by installing a heated birdbath to ensure a steady water supply, even when the temperatures start to drop. Fill your bird feeders with seeds and suet to keep them well-fed—just make sure to clean them out and add new feed in first! Or, get to building a bird box to provide them a cozy shelter through some of the rougher patches.
Clean Out or Move Your Smaller Containers
If you’re cold, they’re cold. The deep freeze doesn’t just ravage your plants—it can impact your containers and pots, too!
Untreated containers—such as terra cotta and ceramic pots—tend to crack and break through the various freezing and thawing cycles. Making the soil within the pots expand—and pushing them to their breaking point. So make sure to move them into a warm place, or out of the elements, to ensure you can get planting once last frost has come and gone.
Test Your Saved Seeds
Seeds don’t expire, but they do become non-viable after a period of time. So, if you’ve saved some seeds from a previous harvest or especially beautiful blooms a few years back, it’s time to test them out!
All you need is a resealable plastic bag, a paper towel, and a few (not all) seeds from each plant. Simply dampen the paper towels, lay your seeds on them (evenly spaced), and carefully roll up the towels. Then, place them in the bag and set them aside in a warm, dry place for two to fourteen days and wait.
If at least three-quarters of the seeds germinate, you’ve got a winner ready for a springtime planting! Or, if they’re mostly duds, you have plenty of time to go shopping before seed-starting time comes around.
Get Building for Spring
Can’t dig into the frozen ground? Use this down time to build up some gardening essentials instead. Break out the tools and hardware to construct a potting bench for all your organizational needs. Construct some raised garden beds to really kick your gardening endeavors to the next level. Or, hit the local hardware store or thrift shop and pick out a variety of containers and planters.
So, when the warmer weather returns, you’ll be able to hit the ground running. And maximize your backyard spaces with a wealth of colors, shapes, and smells in the process.
Plan Next Year’s Garden
Winter might limit your outdoor fun, but it’s always the perfect time to plan out your dream garden. So, while you’re working through these other winter gardening ideas, take this opportunity to sketch out your ideal garden layout. Plan which crops or flowers you want to grow, and research some new techniques to refine or reinvent your gardening process.
Then, start buying what you can. Now’s the perfect time to buy any pavers, seeds, or tools you’ll need to bring your gardening dream to life.
That’s it! If you consider and act upon these winter gardening ideas, you’ll be well on your way to feeling that warm spring sun before you know it.
