Keep Your Green Thumb with these 4 Keys to Winter Gardening

November 7, 2014

Keep Your Green Thumb with these 4 Keys to Winter Gardening

Most of us have had a long and strange transition into winter this year, and you may have been keeping indoors as much as possible to avoid the rain and snow. But just because winter has arrived, that doesn’t mean that you have to pack your green thumb away for the season.

While winter means things like holiday shopping or playing in the snow like little Rosie (see photo), it can also mean growing delicious herbs and getting a head start on next spring’s garden.

Read on to discover 4 things that you can be doing right now to keep your green thumb and make your garden fantastic.

1. Grow an Herb Garden Indoors for a Delicious Winter

Whether you live in sunny South Florida, upper Maine, or anywhere in between, you can grow an indoor herb garden this winter. Herbs such as sage, oregano (see photo above), basil and rosemary thrive inside, and will bring a burst of springtime flavor to your family’s dinner table.

Click here to learn about 5 irresistible herbs that are perfect for an indoor winter herb garden.

2. Save Money! Start Vegetables from Seed

When tomato-planting season gets here, every gardening center in town will be selling tomato seedlings for your garden. Buying seedlings can really add up fast, especially if you opt for the pricier heirloom varieties.

Growing tomatoes from seed will save you a lot of cash, and open up a world of tomato varieties that may not be available at your local gardening store. You can also save money on other garden vegetables, such as onions, by starting from seed, and certain vegetables grow better when you start your own seedlings.

Now is the perfect time to start selecting the seeds for your spring vegetable garden. Click here to learn more about growing vegetables from seed.

3. Get a Head Start on Spring, no Matter Where You Live

The U.S. has a wide range of climates, from tropical to frigid. But whether it’s sunny, rainy or snowy where you live, there are things you can be doing right now to make your garden the best it can be.

Click here for a list of January gardening tips, organized by USDA Hardiness Zones for gardeners. For example, January is the perfect time to start hardy perennials such as pansies (see photo above) from seed in Zone 5, which includes much of the Midwest.

4. Start Worm Composting for a Natural, Fertile Garden

Every garden needs nourishment, and worm composting is an excellent way to give your garden the nutrients it needs to thrive. Worm composting takes scraps from your table and naturally converts them into food for your flowers and vegetables, without the need for artificial store-bought fertilizer.

Worm composting is an easy, economical way to grow a chemical-free garden.

Using worm composting is also a wonderful hands-on way to teach your children about nature and the food cycle, and get them involved in the garden. Studies have shown that children who help grow vegetables are more likely to eat them, so teaching your kids worm composting is a win-win!

Click here to discover worm composting.