A Gardener’s Odyssey Through Winter (Copy)

Written By Ellen Kilmer

Finding gratitude, seeds, and sanity during winter

“Yesterday was the Winter Solstice,” she said flatly through chapped lips, her eyes glazed over. A Pendleton blanket was wrapped tightly around her shoulders. A warm mug of soup was gripped desperately in thick, fingerless knitted gloves.

This is how The Hallmark Channel would embody pathetic gardeners everywhere—those of us stuck in cold, snow-blanketed winters.

“What is there to garden in all this snow and these freezing temperatures?” she’d go on, to no one in particular, as a single tear rolled down her cheek… and froze.

As it fell and cracked on the ground, the instrumental version of Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah would fade in.

Vive le drame!

Dear Hallmark Channel, I volunteer as tribute for this role. I was born for it; this is me. And I can confirm just how pathetic it is.  I come from a family with a long-standing joke about “stupid cold people.”

I try, y’all. I really want to want to be the person who embraces this season.

Every year around late September, I think, It’ll be so nice in winter to regroup, get cozy, and plan the garden for next year. When the first frost hits, I take off my bra, put on my wool Darn Tough socks, stow away the cold brew tea, pull out the Earl Grey, and curl up under a blanket with my dog at my feet.

And then five minutes later, my nerves get bad and I start to itch…Is it still winter?

Winter Solstice, Self-Help Podcasts, and Acting Like a Teenager  

I listen to a self-help podcast (the Mel Robbins one) and get confused.  Am I supposed to embrace where I’m at and feel gratitude (isn’t it too cold for that)?  Or am I supposed to refuse to settle and fight for more (like move to the tropics)?

If I had to guess, my friend Mel would say, “Why not both?”

Why not both? Okay, fine.

Here’s some dumb gratitude from a pathetic gardener lost in the throes of winter (lordy, I sound like a teenager).

The Winter Solstice: A Tiny but Important Turning Point

Yesterday was, in fact, the Winter Solstice. That means that every day til the Summer Solstice, our days will—minute by minute—get slightly longer. Eventually, they’ll get warmer.

And eventually, we will thaw.

For gardeners in cold climates, that matters..

Things I’m Grateful for This Winter

Even in the middle of winter, I suppose there are a few things worth appreciating:

  • Snow can be quite picturesque and quaint.

  • Playing in the snow with family, which is… admittedly adorable

  • Knowing that a cold winter is good for the garden, especially in the midst of a climate crisis

  • The possibility of a harsh winter keeping the rabbit population at bay
    (I know that’s awful, but think of the plants!)

  • The dull winter makes everything else look brighter. Spring is looking almost manically delightful from where I sit.

How I’m Gardening Through Winter (Without Actually Gardening)

And here’s how I’m fighting back against the treachery of winter.
(Don’t worry—despite the tone of that sentence, we’re not drifting into LOTR territory. I know I have a habit of doing that.)

This is how I practice winter gardening without soil under my nails:

  • Sowing seeds in January
     Many seeds need cold, moist stratification, making these cold months the ideal time to sow.

  • Ordering vegetable seeds for my Edible Patio Garden plan

  • Planning a new garden bed in the front yard (vibe, layout, plants, etc.)

  • Picking out exterior paint colors
     Apparently that’s happening next year. Can’t be worse than the garage wall fiasco.

  • Blogging about gardening
     If I can’t garden, I shall blog about gardening. Take me back, fingers. Take me back. And take me forward.

A Note to Fellow Gardeners in Winter

So, Gardener—does your body ache from lack of a Gardener’s Workout?
Does your spirit sag without pollinators dancing outside the window?
Is your connection with nature feeling thin during these winter months?

You’re not alone. We’re in this together.

Maybe we try a little gratitude, a little passive action, and maybe even some of that hygge everyone’s been talking about.

May the force be with you on your winter gardening journey.

Ellen Kilmer
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