10 Winter Garden Activities to Help Pass the Off-Season

Photo credit: iStock/Alex Raths

10 Winter Gardening Activities to Help Pass the Off-Season  

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Nancy DeVault to Garden, Lifestyle
https://farmflavor.com/lifestyle/garden/winter-gardening-activities-to-help-pass-the-off-season/

Winter oftentimes brings a lull to lush gardens, but that doesn’t mean gardeners have to freeze all gardening activities during the season. From planning and maintenance to creative projects and skill-building, there are countless ways to keep plant passions in full bloom. Here’s a round-up of winter gardening activities to keep you busy until springtime.  

1. Evaluate Your Garden

Winter can be the ideal time to evaluate your garden’s performance over the past few seasons. Ponder 
what worked well and identify areas for improvement. Were there particular plants that thrived or unexpected issues with pests? Did you notice that you harvested an abundance of one type of vegetable and not enough of another?

Design (or redesign with lessons learned) a garden layout for the upcoming season. Whether you map out a plan via pen and paper or an app, strive to optimize your garden space.

 2. Start a Gardening Journal

Photo credit: iStock/CentralITAlliance

You know the common philosophy of “write what you’re passionate about?” Well, if you’re passionate about plants, start a gardening journal. The act of journaling in and of itself is beneficial, especially for one’s mental health, but a gardening journal can also serve as an action-oriented chronicle. Document planting dates, harvest yields and potential challenges, as well as your gardening goals for the future.

3. Start an Indoor Garden

 Photo credit: iStock/Yin Yang

Your happy place may be your outdoor garden during warmer months, but growing plants indoors can help ward off winter blues. Perhaps you’d benefit from an indoor herb garden conveniently placed on the windowsill of your kitchen. Go-to herbs like basil, thyme, parsley and mint can add a fresh element to seasonal stews and soups. Check out a few of the best herbs to grow in your windowsill and our indoor gardening guide for ideas. You can also maximize indoor gardening with microgreens. Experiment with nutrient-packed greens such as arugula, pea and radish microgreens, which grow quickly and can be harvested in just a few weeks.

4. Grow Houseplants

Photo credit: iStock/Christian Steinsworth

From hanging greenery to potted succulents, many garden enthusiasts incorporate houseplants into home décor, especially during wintertime. In addition to infusing natural, calming pops of color, research suggests this decorating choice boasts significant wellness benefits because houseplants can remove harmful air toxins to achieve a healthier environment.

Common houseplants include anthurium, peace lily, pothos neon, rubber plant, snake plant, tufted air plant, yucca cane and others. However, it’s important for pet owners to note that some plants are poisonous to pets, so do your research beforehand. See more: How to Care for Air Plants: A Complete Guide 

5. Do a Maintenance Check

 Photo credit: iStock/HT-Pix

Garden tools are a worthwhile investment and properly maintaining them is important. Winter may be the time to show your tools a little TLC. A few tasks to consider:

• Clean and sharpen blades. Remove dirt and sap from pruners, shears and shovels. A sharp blade makes gardening more efficient and protects plants from damage.

• Oil metal parts. This prevents rusting and prolongs the life of your tools.

• Organize your garden shed. Take inventory of your supplies and make a list of items to replace or restock.

• Repair fences and trellises. Strengthen support or repaint them to prevent weather damage.

6. Level Up Your Garden

Photo credit: iStock/Mkovalevskaya

Use winter months to work on improving garden infrastructure, such as building raised beds. Construct
new beds, then fill them with soil and compost come early spring and get growing. You can also spend the off season making plans for expanding your garden next season, such as ordering seeds you’ve never tried growing or learning how to grow a cut-flower bed.

See more: How to Compost

7. Focus on Soil Health

Winter is the perfect time to work on improving the health of your soil. Consider the following tasks:

• Test your soil. Winter is a great time to send a soil sample to a lab or use a DIY soil test kit. Understanding your soil’s pH and nutrient levels helps you prepare for spring planting.

Photo credit: iStock/tortoon

• Maintain your compost pile. Insulate it with straw or leaves to keep it active. If freezing temperatures halt decomposition, continue adding organic material, which will break down once the weather warms.

• Start a worm bin indoors. Vermicomposting is an efficient way to recycle kitchen scraps into rich, fertile compost for your garden.

See more: Soil 101: Why Is Your Garden’s Soil Health So Important?

 8. Prune Perennials

Photo credit: iStock/Olga Seifutdinova

Winter pruning improves the health of many plants and prepares them for vigorous growth in spring.

• Prune deciduous trees and shrubs. With the leaves gone, the structure of the plant is visible, making it easier to identify dead or crossing branches.

• Cut back perennials. Trim spent stems and foliage to tidy up the garden and reduce hiding spots for pests. Leave plants with seed heads, like coneflowers, for birds to enjoy.

• Protect tender plants. Mulch heavily or wrap sensitive plants, like roses, in burlap to shield them from harsh winter conditions.

See more: 11 Things You Can Grow in Your Winter Garden

9. Grow Your Gardening Knowledge

Photo credit: iStock/Mercedes Rancaño Otero

Winter offers extra time to dive into gardening education. Consider reading gardening books, magazines or blogs. Learn about new techniques or dive deeper into topics like organic pest control, native plants and more. Many gardening groups and organizations also host virtual events during winter. Look for local classes, online workshops or webinars to join. Or simply ask the experts. Pop into a garden shop and pick the brain of the nursery’s horticulturist. You never know what will bloom from a friendly conversation with a fellow garden devotee.

10. Get Creative

Photo credit: iStock/Oksana Aksenova

Winter is a good time for creative gardening-related crafts. When inspiration strikes:

• Make plant markers. Paint or engrave markers for spring planting.

• Create birdhouses or bee hotels. These can be installed in your garden to encourage pollinators and other beneficial wildlife.

• Repurpose old materials. Turn pallets into vertical planters or use jars for seed storage.

• Step up your stepping stones. A fun and functional creation can be a step in the right direction for gardeners.

By tackling these winter gardening activities and more, you can prepare for a thriving spring garden while enjoying this season’s unique opportunities. Happy gardening! 

Shamrocks - So Many Lucky Choices...!

 Shamrocks have long been a symbol of 
Ireland and have even been considered a symbol of good luck. They are popular houseplants and fun gifts for friends and neighbors on St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrocks are easy to grow indoors if you follow these simple and easy to remember steps:

Light
Shamrocks prefer bright, indirect sunlight, be sure to place your plant in a window where it will receive plenty of light. Shamrocks will flower, even during winter, if they receive enough light. Each night the plant's leaflets fold up, then reopen in sunlight the following day.

Food
Shamrocks like food! Fertilize them regularly with either a liquid houseplant or a time-release fertilizer during their growing season. As always, we recommend following label instructions.

Iron Cross Shamrock

Soil
As a houseplant, they prefer moist soil. 
Avoid allowing your shamrock to dry out during the growing season.

Temperature
Give your shamrock a growing temperature between 50 and 70 °F during the growing season. They can be placed outside after danger of frost has passed and are a beautiful addition to your pots or in a grouping of pots.

Dormancy
Shamrocks have a dormant period. When your shamrock goes dormant, usually in late summer, don’t fret! Just place it in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight for 2-3 months. The purple-leaf types  only need one month of dormancy.  

Since your shamrock grows from small bulbs, it is easy to divide and create new plants. Here's a short video showing how to propagate shamrocks.

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!

Fun Indoor Plants for the Holidays and Beyond

Cooler temperatures mark the end of the gardening season for many, but for people who love plants, winter is just an excuse to move our favorite hobby indoors. Your home can become a showcase of what can be grown indoors, and holiday seasonal plants can be a fun place to start. Let’s talk about some of the best holiday plants that can be enjoyed year-round if cared for properly.

One of my favorite indoor plants is the Norfolk Island pine, sometimes called the Star Pine. Araucaria heterophylla. This beautiful, coniferous tree grows slowly indoors and needs plenty of light. It may start as a tabletop Christmas Tree but, if correctly cared for over the years, this plant will grow into a small tree. It does best in a bright window and thrives with average water and humidity.

The most common winter Holiday plant, the Euphorbia pulcherrima, or Poinsettia, is a classic and is sold in various sizes in December. Care for your plant and it will reward you year after year. The bracts are what change color to form the traditional Christmas plant. Colors range from burgundy, purple, white, red, and pink with variations of solids, mottling, and variegation. 

This Poinsettia is native to Mexico and the legend of the plant goes something like this:

There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita who had no present to give the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked sadly to the chapel her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up. 'Pepita', he said, "I'm sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him, will make Jesus happy." Pepita didn't know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus. As she walked through the chapel to the altar, she remembered what Pedro had said. She began to feel better, knelt, and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them was sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the 'Flores de Noche Buena', or 'Flowers of the Holy Night'. The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought of as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red-colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent his purity.

Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly referred to as Rosemary, grows well as a Christmas-tree-shaped house plant and makes a nice tabletop or kitchen plant. Some people love the smell of Rosemary and having a fresh sprig to use for your holiday recipes is a bonus. Although not as vigorous as a Norfolk Island pine, it can be planted outside in the spring. This plant just needs a little water, and a happy window to look out if grown indoors.

A more traditional plant to grow indoors is the Schlumbergera spp, or Christmas cactus. With flowers that range from orange to pink to red and even purple, these plants do not require a lot of water, and are a good choice for plant owners who travel a lot. Here are some tips that will help initiate flowers in Christmas cactus.

Narcissus papyraceus or Paperwhites are closely related to Daffodils and are grown indoors. They are fragrant and easy to grow. Just pot them and place them in a window away from drafts and enjoy! A fun craft idea for kids is to buy a simple pot from any craft store and have them decorate and plant it for the holidays.

Another one of my favorites, which happens to be a bulb, is the Amaryllis. From the genus Hippeastrum, these bulbs are also native to South America. What I love about these bulbs is that they are so ridiculously easy to grow. Grab a shallow glass vase or pot, fill it with gravel, stick the bulb on top, give it some water, and watch it start growing. It takes about 6 weeks for it to bloom once it is planted. The colors are deep red to white with all types of variations in between. Because they can tolerate a lot of abuse, Amaryllis are a great indoor plant for college kids and people who have pets.

A relatively new one to the scene is Cupressus macrocarpa, or Lemon Cypress. This dwarf shrub, with chartreuse green foliage, can be grown in a pot and is a wonderful bright addition to your home. Potted cypresses need sunlight and are used to bright, sunny locations outdoors. Their soil should be kept moist but not wet and should not be allowed to dry out. A good test is to insert your finger into the pot down to the first knuckle and then remove it. If soil particles adhere to your fingertip, the plant does not need water at that time. Lemon Cypress can go outdoors and live as a containerized plant or be planted in the ground in USDA zones 7 to 10. 

So, while gardening outdoors may have been placed on pause for the winter, above are several plants that I hope will inspire you to keep growing through the Holiday Season and long afterward.

Growing Shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day

Shamrocks have long been a symbol of Ireland and have even been considered a symbol of good luck. They are popular houseplants and fun gifts for friends and neighbors on St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrocks are easy to grow indoors if you follow these simple and easy to remember steps:

Light
Shamrocks prefer bright, indirect sunlight, be sure to place your plant in a window where it will receive plenty of light. Shamrocks will flower, even during winter, if they receive enough light. Each night the plant's leaflets fold up, then reopen in sunlight the following day.

Food
Shamrocks like food! Fertilize them regularly with either a liquid houseplant or a time-release fertilizer during their growing season. As always, we recommend following label instructions.

Soil
As a houseplant, they prefer moist soil. Avoid allowing your shamrock to dry out during the growing season.

Temperature
Give your shamrock a growing temperature between 50 and 70 °F during the growing season. They can be placed outside after danger of frost has passed and are a beautiful addition to your pots or in a grouping of pots.

Dormancy
Shamrocks have a dormant period. When your shamrock goes dormant, usually in late summer, don’t fret! Just place it in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight for 2-3 months. The purple-leaf types only need one month of dormancy.

Since your shamrock grows from small bulbs, it is easy to divide and create new plants. Here's a short video showing how to propagate shamrocks.

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!

Winter Houseplant care with new lighting info

Caring for houseplants during the winter months is vital to maintaining these beauties at their best! Winter conditions indoors require homeowners to change the way they manage the humidity (or lack of), watering, and placement of houseplants. Plants require the correct amount of light and water in order to live, which will vary greatly, depending on the type of plant you have.

Light can be measured in two simple ways: Quality is the color and brightness of the light, while quantity refers to the number of hours a plant receives light. There are a few options for light sources, but light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are both energy-efficient and last a long time. Additionally, LED plant lights emit only the red and blue light needed by plants, with little heat.

Light quality and quantity are important for houseplants as they impact color, size, shape, and flowering. A light meter can be purchased at your local garden center to tell you how much light your plant is receiving. 
How frequently you need to water your plant depends on several things [video]:

• The type and size of your plant's pot,

• The temperature and humidity level of your plant's room, 

• The type of medium in which your plant is growing.  Soil moisture probes are instruments that measure soil moisture. There are even some that send you a text message telling you that you need to water your plant. 

Here are some great tips for how to care for your sick plant.  Houseplants, just like other plants, often get sick due to under- or over-watering, over fertilizing, or lack of attention.

Enjoy the benefits of your houseplants all year long!

Get your Shamrocks for St. Paddy's Day!

Shamrocks represent good luck and are a 

popular house plant, especially around Saint Patrick’s Day when they are in stores everywhere! Shamrocks are easy to grow if you follow these five simple and easy to remember step

·       Shamrocks prefer direct sunlight, be sure to place your plant in a window where it will receive plenty of light. Shamrocks will flower, even during winter, if they receive enough light. Each night the plant's leaflets fold up , then reopen in sunlight the following day.

·       Shamrocks like food! Fertilize them regularly with either a liquid houseplant or time release fertilizer during their 

     growing season- always following label instructions.

·     As a houseplant, they prefer moist soil. Avoid allowing your shamrock to dry out during the growing season.

·       Give your shamrock a growing temperature between 50 and 70 ^°F during the growing season. They can be placed outside after danger of frost has passed and are a beautiful addition to your pots or in a grouping of pots.

·       Shamrocks have a dormant period. When your shamrock
 goes dormant, usually in late summer, don’t fret! Just place 
it in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight for 2-3 months. The purple-leaf types only need one month of dormancy!

Since your shamrock grows from small bulbs, it's easy to divide and create new plants. Here's a short video with how-to steps for propagating.  

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!

Especially in winter...Houseplants: Right light, right water!

Caring for houseplants during the winter months is vital to maintaining these beauties at their best! Winter conditions indoors require homeowners to change the way they manage the humidity (or lack of), watering, and placement of houseplants. Plants require the correct amount of light and water in order to live, which will vary greatly, depending on the type of plant you have.

Light can be measured in two simple ways: Quality is the color and brightness of the light, while quantity refers to the number of hours a plant receives light. 

Light quality and quantity are important for houseplants as they impact color, size, shape, and flowering. A light meter can be purchased at your local garden center to tell you how much light your plant is receiving.

How frequently you need to water your plant depends on several things [video]:

• The type and size of your plant's pot,

• The temperature and humidity level of your plant's room, 

• The type of medium in which your plant is growing.  Soil moisture probes are instruments that measure soil moisture. There are even some that send you a text message telling you that you need to water your plant. 

Here are some great tips for how to care for your sick plant.  Houseplants, just like other plants, often get sick due to under- or over-watering, over fertilizing, or lack of attention.

Enjoy the benefits of your houseplants all year long!

So-o-o many choices for growing Indoors for the Holidays

For some, cooler temperatures mark the end of the gardening season, but for those of us who love plants, we know that we just change the locale of where we work. In the spring and summer, we work outdoors; in the fall and winter, we move indoors. My home has become an indoor showcase of what can be grown indoors in the winter. Holiday decorations can be augmented with living plants of various types.

One of my favorites includes the Norfolk Island pine, sometimes called the Star Pine. Araucaria heterophylla is a beautiful, coniferous tree that grows slowly indoors and needs plenty of light. You may receive this as a table top Christmas tree and, if correctly cared for, over the years, this plant will grow into a small tree. It does best in a bright window, and thrives with average water and humidity.

The most common winter holiday plant, the Euphorbia pulcherrima, or Poinsettia, will, contrary to popular belief, not make you sick if you eat it, although I am unsure why you would want to. Care for your plant and it will reward you year after year. The bracts are what change color to form the traditional Christmas plant. Colors range from burgundy, purple, white, red, and pink with variations of solids, mottling, and variegation. Native to Mexico, the legend of the plant goes something like this:
There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita who had no present to give the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked sadly to the chapel her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up. 'Pepita', he said, "I'm sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him, will make Jesus happy."  Pepita didn't know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus. As she walked through the chapel to the altar, she remembered what Pedro had said. She began to feel better, knelt down and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the 'Flores de Noche Buena', or 'Flowers of the Holy Night'.  The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent his purity.

Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly referred to as Rosemary, grows well as a Christmas-tree-shaped house plant and makes a nice table top or kitchen plant. Some people love the smell of Rosemary and having a fresh sprig to use for your holiday recipes is an added bonus. Although not as vigorous as a Norfolk Island pine, it can be planted outside in the spring. This plant just needs a little water, and a happy window to look out if grown indoors.

Another more traditional plant to grow indoors is the Schlumbergera spp, or Christmas cactus. With flowers that range from orange to pink to red and even purple, these plants do not require a lot of water, and can handle me forgetting to tend to them if I am out of town for the holidays. Here are some tips that will help initiate flowers in Christmas cactus.

Narcissus papyraceus or Paperwhites are closely related to Daffodils, and are grown indoors. They are fragrant, and easy to grow. Just pot them up and place them in a window away from drafts and enjoy! A pot from any craft store can easily be decorated for the holidays and used to brighten up any room, which also makes it a great craft idea and can be a fun project to do with children!

Another one of my favorites, which happens to be a bulb, is the Amaryllis. From the genus Hippeastrum, these bulbs are also native to South America. What I love about these bulbs is that they are so ridiculously easy to grow. Grab a shallow glass vase or pot, fill it with gravel, stick the bulb on top, give it some water, and watch it start growing. It takes about 6 weeks for it to bloom once it is planted. The colors are deep red, to white with all types of variations in-between. They tolerate abuse from animals, too. I had an Amaryllis named Jar-jar in my apartment in college with 5 other roommates and it did quite well.

A relatively new one to the scene is Cupressus macrocarpa, or Lemon Cypress. This dwarf shrub, with chartreuse green foliage, can be grown in a pot and is a wonderful bright addition to your home. Potted cypresses need sunlight and are used to bright, sunny locations outdoors. Their soil should be kept moist but not wet and should not be allowed to thoroughly dry. A good test is to insert your finger into the pot down to the first knuckle and then remove it. If soil particles adhere to your fingertip, the plant does not need water at that time. Lemon cypress can go outdoors and live as a containerized plant or be planted in the ground in USDA zones 7 to 10.

So, while the gardening outdoors may have been placed on pause for the winter, above are several plants that I hope will inspire you to keep growing through the holiday season and long afterwards.

Shamrock luck!

Shamrocks  are for  good luck and are a popular house plant, especially during St. Patrick’s Day. 

Shamrocks are easy to grow if you follow these five simple and easy to remember steps:

·       Shamrocks prefer direct sunlight, be sure to place your plant in a window where it will receive plenty of light. Shamrocks will flower, even during winter, if they receive enough light. Each night the plant's leaflets fold up , then reopen in sunlight the following day.

·       Shamrocks like food! Fertilize them regularly with either a liquid houseplant or time release fertilizer during their growing season- always following label instructions.

·     As a houseplant, they prefer moist soil. Avoid allowing your shamrock to dry out during the growing season.

·       Give your shamrock a growing temperature between 50 and 70 ^°F during the growing season. They can be placed outside after danger of frost has passed and are a beautiful addition to your pots or in a grouping of pots.

·       Shamrocks have a dormant period. When your shamrock
 goes dormant, usually in late summer, don’t fret! Just place 
it in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight for 2-3 months. The purple-leaf types only need one month of dormancy!

Since your shamrock grows from small bulbs, it's easy to divide and create new plants. 

Here's a short video with how-to steps for propagating. 
Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!