Winter can be a bit of a drag for gardeners. But it doesn’t have to be. While many of our plants are in winter mode, there are ways we can enjoy our gardening life, even in the depths of winter.

Plant for January enjoyment. Sure the plants selection is not as it is in summer, but having a few plants emerging and possibly even blooming this time of year makes all the difference. We love Hamamelis, Winter Aconite and Snowdrops for bringing a bit of much needed cheer to the winter garden.

Enjoy the winter interest you so carefully planned for. Large stands of grasses, the green foliage of liriope and the spent seedheads of coneflowers, flag iris and rudbeckia are meant to be enjoyed, now. Take note as to where your garden could use a bit more infusion of winter interest and add those plants to your spring plant shopping list. Speaking of …

Review photos. I tend to go through all my garden photos- oh so many! I weed out (pun intended) the blurry and repetitive photos and study the remaining for insight as to where my gardens need more color, structure or a variation in heights and textures.Now I’m ready to create my spring plant shopping list.

Feed the birds. A clean bird bath and some bags of quality bird seed brings a lot of enjoyment to the garden. Not often can I sit and watch what happens in the garden (I’m too busy planting and puttering about). But now, when the cold keeps us indoors, bird watching is a welcome pastime. 

Talk with a garden professional. When spring comes, it gets very hectic, for gardeners and garden professionals alike. Now’s a great time to meet with a designer to evaluate your landscape and make plans for spring, be it new plants, a hardscape or a little of both.