We work so exhausting in our gardens from spring till fall, but it surely looks like most of that point we’re simply making an attempt to maintain up slightly than creating a proactive technique to lastly get forward of all of it. That’s why the winter, when issues decelerate, is the right time to work in your backyard — slightly than in it. On this video, I present you 5 issues you are able to do proper now to make your gardening life higher and simpler come spring.
1. Take Inventory
Step one for each gardener is to take inventory of the previous 12 months. What went effectively within the backyard, and what didn’t go so effectively? What “aha” moments did you’ve gotten? File these ideas and observations now whereas it’s contemporary in your thoughts, and also you’ll be positioned to use that data subsequent 12 months and past so you may repeat the wins and keep away from the losses.
Gardening is all about change and adaptation so that you simply and your backyard can proceed to develop. I discover the easiest way to try this is with the journaling app on my cellphone. (I exploit Day One, however there are different apps to select from in addition to good old style pen and paper.) My app permits me so as to add photos as I’m going or import photographs from my picture library. I can kind up notes or use the dictation operate. It captures real-time data akin to date, location and temperature, and it updates the information throughout all of my gadgets — cellphone, pill and pc. It’s one of the best useful resource I’ve discovered to doc every gardening season’s wins, challenges and particular noteworthy moments.
When doubtful about whether or not to file a notice or not, I say it’s higher to have it and never want it than to wish it and never have it. Your solely regrets would be the images and observations you didn’t seize.

The Day One app is a favourite for maintaining my backyard journal.
2. Nurture Your Thoughts
What gardening topic do you need to study extra about? Commit proper now, whilst you can, to teach your self by selecting up books on the topic, taking an on-line course or attending lectures and workshops by connecting with native gardening societies. What I like about gardening is there may be at all times extra to study and numerous alternatives to strengthen your abilities. Winter is the right time to complement your gardening data, and it’s simpler than ever to study from the consolation of your individual house.

Winter is the right time to complement your gardening data, and it’s simpler than ever to study from the consolation of your individual house.
3. Make Your Plan for Subsequent Season
Resolve now what you need to plant in spring and summer season, and take the mandatory steps to arrange. Should you intend to start out crops from seeds, now could be the time to start out pursuing seed catalogs. When you’ve picked out what you need to develop, order these seeds immediately. They go rapidly, and when you wait, there’s a good probability the preferred varieties will likely be offered out.
Should you plan to refresh or increase your backyard beds, resolve what crops you need. Have you learnt the varieties and the place to get them? Get that decision-making off your checklist earlier than the gardening season picks up.

Peruse seed catalogs now and order quickly — earlier than the seeds you need are out of inventory.
4. Choose a Challenge to Enhance Your Backyard
There are at all times issues we need to add to our backyard that we by no means get achieved. That’s as a result of we don’t schedule it, and what doesn’t get scheduled doesn’t get achieved. Should you actually need to add that water characteristic or that greenhouse or begin a wildflower backyard, now could be the time to map it out, together with the steps and the timeline. Time is your most valuable useful resource, but it surely goes by so quick. Seize the second.

Right here I’m sitting on the slab poured for the greenhouse I’ve wished for fairly a while. It’s straightforward to maintain laying aside initiatives that you simply haven’t scheduled., so make a plan and put a date on the calendar to get it achieved.
5. Develop at Least One Factor New
As gardeners who’ve been at it some time, we are likely to get caught in ruts and develop the identical issues again and again — and that’s such a disgrace. There are such a lot of alternatives to strive one thing new, and within the course of, we develop with it and study a lot extra.
Should you’re a meals grower, what’s one edible you’ve by no means grown earlier than? Choose one now and develop it in your backyard subsequent 12 months. Likewise, if you’re into flowers, what’s one flower that you’ve got by no means grown earlier than?
And we are able to all profit from including a local tree or shrub to our panorama. Not solely will or not it’s stunning and make us completely satisfied, however with a bit considerate planning, it’ll add a lot ecological worth to the setting and make habitats more healthy too. And that’s what it’s all about.

Choose a species or number of plant, shrub or tree to plant for the primary time subsequent rising season, as a result of after we strive new issues, we develop too.
Because the 12 months winds down, take a while and provides some thought to what you are able to do so subsequent rising season you may put these ideas into motion.
What proactive steps do you soak up winter to arrange for the gardening 12 months forward? Tell us within the feedback under.
Hyperlinks & Assets
Some product hyperlinks on this information are affiliate hyperlinks. See full disclosure under.
Episode 080: Placing the Backyard to Mattress: Finish-of-Season Recommendation from Margaret Roach
joegardener weblog: Winter: The Finest Time to Work on Your Backyard
joegardener On-line Gardening Academy™: Well-liked programs on gardening fundamentals; managing pests, illnesses & weeds; seed beginning and extra.
joegardener On-line Gardening Academy Natural Vegetable Gardening: My new premium on-line course membership opens in 2023. Join the waitlist right here.
joegardener On-line Gardening Academy Starting Gardener Fundamentals: Important ideas to know to create a thriving backyard.
Earthbound Expeditions: Nice Gardens of Italy & France with Joe Lamp’l
Day One app
Disclosure: Some product hyperlinks on this information are affiliate hyperlinks, which suggests we get a fee if you buy. Nonetheless, not one of the costs of those assets have been elevated to compensate us, and compensation is just not an influencing issue on their inclusion right here. The choice of all objects featured on this submit and podcast have been primarily based solely on benefit and on no account influenced by any affiliate or monetary incentive, or contractual relationship. On the time of this writing, Joe Lamp’l has skilled relationships with the next corporations who could have merchandise included on this submit and podcast: Rain Fowl, Corona Instruments, AeroGarden, Milorganite, Soil3, Greenhouse Megastore, PittMoss, Territorial Seed Firm, Earth’s Ally, Nationwide Wildlife Federation and TerraThrive. These corporations are both Model Companions of joegardener.com and/or promote on our web site. Nonetheless, we obtain no further compensation from the gross sales or promotion of their product via this information. The inclusion of any merchandise talked about inside this submit is completely impartial and unique of any relationship.