A food garden in winter: 6 things you can do now to harvest in the cold season

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A food garden in winter: 6 things you can do now to harvest in the cold season

Most people who garden believe that the growing season lasts until the temperature drops below freezing and the dew turns into frost. This is not entirely true; some regions (USDA zones 0-2) have a very short growing season that means they cannot grow vegetables outdoors unless they employ special techniques and plant seeds specially designed for that climate. However, most people, even those residing in places where snowfall occurs every winter (such as Ontario), can continue to garden throughout the entire calendar.

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7 Reasons Why You Should Plan a Garden Redesign in Winter

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7 Reasons Why You Should Plan a Garden Redesign in Winter

Guest post by Shannon Quantock

Keeping your garden maintained every season is one of the keys to making it last as long as possible. In the winter, the majority of plants are usually pretty dormant if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, which makes it the perfect time for you to plan a new design. Let’s have a look at a few reasons why planning your garden design in the winter is a great idea.

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Winter can be a surprisingly busy time for gardeners.

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Winter can be a surprisingly busy time for gardeners.

Guest post by Tim Allen

No matter what you grow or how big (or small) your garden may be, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done as winter approaches to keep your plants safe. Weeds need to be plucked, bulbs need to be planted, shrubs and landscaping need to be wrapped up -- you know the routine.

But what about your indoor plants?

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5 Things you can do now to have a winter food garden

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5 Things you can do now to have a winter food garden

Most people who garden believe that the growing season ends when the weather begins to turn cold and morning dew turns to frost. This is absolutely not true, though. A few places (USDA zones 0-2) have extremely short growing seasons that make it very difficult to grow vegetables outdoors without using specialized techniques and growing plants that are uniquely adapted to grow in that climate. However most people, even those who live in places where it reliably snows every winter (like Ontario, Canada), can continue to grow fresh herbs, vegetables, and even some flowers all year round.

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10 Reasons to Plant a Garden This Fall (it’s not too late!)

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10 Reasons to Plant a Garden This Fall (it’s not too late!)

Fall is here and soon after, winter, and while many of us have put away the gardening tools and supplies, picked our last harvests, and composted the leftover stalks and roots, there’s no need to wait until the spring to begin again. Growing your own food is something you can do year-round if you begin this fall. If you’ve been considering fall (and winter) gardening but haven’t done anything about it, here are ten reasons to consider it a little more seriously…

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Winter Garden Chronicle: What I’ve Learned from Winter Gardening

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Winter Garden Chronicle: What I’ve Learned from Winter Gardening

If you read my post from last October 15, you’ll remember that I embarked on my second attempt at winter gardening this year. Happily, this attempt has been a lot more effective and (most of) my plants have so far survived the cold and snow outside. Although I’m far from confident in claiming this venture a success, it has taught me some valuable lessons about year-round gardening that I’d like to share with you.

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Winter Garden Chronicle: Keeping Your Thumbs Green in the Cold

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Winter Garden Chronicle: Keeping Your Thumbs Green in the Cold

It’s hard to acknowledge you’ve failed at something, especially if you’re a type “A” personality like me. But last winter I tried, and failed, to keep my winter container garden alive. Ok, the violas survived the cold and snow, but they don’t count, since they are by nature tolerant of winter weather. Everything else – the Japanese eggplants, the miniature peppers, the carrots, and the green beans, suffered miserably before finally wilting into pathetic looking, half-frozen messes.

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