Do we really garden in the winter?

Yep, its cold outside. Sometimes its feels like it too cold to even be outside much less actively work in cold dirt.

Veggie garden covered with snow.

If the weather is too cold, bring the garden inside to you. Planting herbs like basil and mint grow well inside. Thyme and oregano are great herbs to start indoors so you can keep an eye on it. Be aware that germination can take several weeks so keep the seeds only lightly covered with soil and misted with water.

Consider growing microgreens which are great for quick growing sprouts to put in your salads, wraps or smoothies. Click on the link to see the article and video on how to grow.

Microgreens growing in windowsill

Work on your compost bin or collecting items to breakdown and put in your compost bin. While grass is likely not available since it generally does not grow in winter, you can collect from your scraps indoors with eggshells, veggie scraps and cardboard pieces. Be sure to dry out citrus peels if you include them so they breakdown faster. An energy efficient way to do this is to keep the peels in the freezer until you use your oven. Once you remove what you are baking, throw in the peels and leave in the oven while its cooling off.

Kitchen scraps

Want to try more to get started early on your garden, starting seeds inside to get a jump on the warm weather when it arrives and beats the pests is a great way to focus on a garden - from indoors. If you do not want to invest in on a seed starting mat you can use the top of your refrigerator for the warmest start. Be sure to keep an eye on your seeds so they do not dry out or you overwater and get fungus gnats.

You can prep for spring by cleaning off your garden tools. Check out this article about how to remove different residues that are left after a day of working in the dirt.

Spade in dirt

January gardening might look a little different, but it’s still full of opportunities to nurture your love for plants. So grab a cup of cocoa, a warm pair of gloves, and let your green thumb shine—even in the cold!