You may think that just because it is cold, and the first frost has already laid a white blanket across your garden that your role as a gardener is on hiatus for the winter. Sure, if you WANT to go on a winter sabbatical, you most likely more than deserve it after working in your garden all spring, summer and fall.

But if you’re like us, you may want to keep your hands dirty and your thumbs green, so here are some activities for gardeners during the winter (reprinted courtesy of: Emmitsberg.net)

Activities for Gardeners in the Winter Months:

• It is a good time to clean and repair your garden tools. Check the rototiller, lawn mower and sharpen tools.
• Transplant and maintain your houseplants.

Divide some of your plants to start as gifts for upcoming holidays such as Easter and Mother’s Day.

Starting African violets from leaf cuttings is an easy skill to learn. Select a leaf of medium size, slide your finger down the leaf stem and push down at the base. The stem should break away from the parent plant. Leave the stem on the leaf, and dip the stem in rooting powder. Insert the stem at an angle into the soil mix. Place the leaf and pot in a plastic bag, blow in some air and tie it shut. Keep the bag in bright light but not direct sun. If you see mold or moisture in the bag, open it for a few hours to let the excess water evaporate. The stem will root in about a month. When the leaves are an inch long open the bag. In 6 to 8 weeks small leaves will form at the base of the leaf. When they get to be half the size of the mother leaf, carefully separate them from the mother leaf and repot the plants individually. The plants should blossom in six months, if given bright light, warm temperatures and fertilizer.

• Build a bird feeder or purchase one. Watching birds in the winter is a great activity for the whole family. Buy an inexpensive bird identification book, which will make this activity even more fun. Try putting out different birdseed mixes to see whether different birds come to feed.
• Sprout seeds for eating. They do not require light for germination and are very nutritious. You can buy alfalfa seeds at a health food store and they will sprout in a short period of time.
• Now is the time to get a bargain on Amaryllis and Paper Whites. Buy a couple and start them at different times to have a continual bloom during the winter.
• Consider purchasing or even building an “Indoor Grow Lab” that will allow you to start plants from seeds, propagate root cuttings, raise flowering foliage and vegetable plants, force plants to flower and experiment with how plants respond to light. Instructions for building a lab are available at the Extension Office or library, if you are handy with woodworking tools. The cost will probably be $100 – $150.
• Visit a local nursery and drink in the beauty of what is growing and blooming.
• Attend a flower show in your local area – they usually begin to be scheduled in February and March.

Another important winter gardening activity is to start planning your spring planting. How about re-designing the layout of your garden and plotting which plants will go where. And check out local and online nurseries for end of season sales on bulbs, seeds, equipment and more.

As a gardener, what do you do during the winter? Leave a comment on this article or click here to use our handy contact form to let us know! We would love to hear from you.