Don’t worry, you can still plant in the winter. Plant lovers will be happy until spring with these winter garden ideas and activities.
A lot of people who garden have a hard time in the winter. Most people are stuck inside watching snow storm after snow storm hit, unless they live in Florida or Southern California. Gardeners, don’t give up! “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” asked the author Percy Bysshe Shelley.
For now, here are some ways to keep growing during the winter. These garden ideas for winter will help you keep growing even when it’s cold outside.
1. Buy New Houseplants
There are houseplants in the garden center that you haven’t seen in a while. You should go check them out. One of our favorite winter yard ideas is to grow houseplants. Choose something you have never heard of before and put it on your shelf.
“They spend the warmer months outside, but I bring them inside when it gets cold.” They make winter a little greener. Megan Long from Red Wing, Minnesota, says, “This year I’m keeping some herbs in pots inside.”
2. Plan Next Year’s Garden
Start making plans for your plants for next year as the snow falls. Plan out what new things you want to grow. Ginne Price from Taylors, South Carolina, says, “A lot of flower catalogs help me plan for an even better flower bed next year.”
Write down your outdoor thoughts too. This is the year you should finally start writing down what you do in the yard. Draw your ideas, use libraries to make lists, get ideas, and keep track of what works and what doesn’t. A notebook is an easy way to keep a journal. You can add photo pages to your journal or go high-tech and start a blog or other online journal.
3. Grow Annuals Indoors
Find a friend who brought their annuals inside for the winter if you didn’t. You can start your own plants by taking a piece from theirs. You have nothing to lose, and they might look nice inside until spring.
“I bring my geranium pots inside, trim them back, and put them on the window sill in the basement.” When I do the laundry, I water them, and they seem happy, says Mary Clark from Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
4. Conquer Kitchen Scraps
Have fun with your winter garden plans and try growing things you use in the kitchen. This is without a doubt the best kind of experimental farming. If you want to grow roots, plant carrot heads, or put a pineapple top in a jar of water. It’s interesting to see what takes place. Also, don’t stop making waste in the winter.
“Our compostable trash is turned over in the winter.” The pile has egg shells, coffee grounds, veggies, and fruit in it. Sue Steele from Essex, Maryland, says, “We use a pitch fork to open it up.”
5. Plant A Few New Herbs
If you have a warm windowsill, try growing herbs in the winter. You should keep an eye on the temperature, especially if your windows aren’t very well sealed. Try herbs that you have never tried before as a challenge. Grow rosemary and tarragon instead of basil and thyme if those are your go-to herbs. All of your best soups will be better for it!
6. Grow Cold Weather Crops
If where you live is warmer, you might be able to grow food outside all year. Grow vegetable plants that can handle cold weather for the best results.
The person from Ringgold, Georgia, named Mike Buckler says that he grows cereal rye as a cover crop between broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
7. Eat Microgreens
Microgreens are new to planting. They’re worth trying if you haven’t already. Put some extra sunflower seeds in a jar. They can be sprouting seeds or organic seeds. At about an inch or two of growth after sprouting, it’s time to pick. Or, try a kit for growing microgreens. Remember that those little buds are very healthy.
8. Experiment With Air Plants
You’re missing out if you haven’t tried air plants yet. Air plants don’t even need dirt to live, so they pretty much grow themselves! Also, they make a dark room brighter.
A lot of people like to garden in pots in the winter, but if you have pets or little kids, you might be worried about the mess that could happen. Air plants are the best answer! These beautiful plants, which are officially called tillandsias, don’t need any dirt.
9. Try a Mushroom Growing Kit
Getting mushroom kits is a fun winter garden idea for the whole family. There are a lot of small kits that you can keep on your table. The mushrooms will grow, and then you can eat them for dinner.
10. Water Plants in Winter
Until the ground freezes, you need to water trees and bushes. Gardening is something I do all year long since I live in Florida. For Karen Lynn of Plant City, Florida, watering is the most important thing.
11. Decorate your Pots
Right now is a great time to show off your style by decorating your window or door pots. You can use mosaic tiles to cover a terracotta pot, stack planters, or make a chair into a unique plant stand.
12. Grow Your Own Indoor Salad Garden
Fresh food on the table in the summer is one of the best things about it. If you grow a salad bowl garden, you can taste summer even when it’s cold outside. You can choose from broccoli, arugula, and leaf lettuce. Click here for tips on how to grow a successful and tasty salad garden.