How You Can Plan A Successful Garden In The Winter

There are many gardening tasks that can be undertaken in the colder months.

Photo by author. Christmas Ornament with garden implements for growing.

Gardening in Wisconsin is a challenge. We spend November through April with the real potential of freezing temperatures and snow cover. That’s almost six months of the calendar year! The growing season is short and if you really want to make the most of it, planning needs to happen now.

The winter months are great for planning your gardens. In January, just after the holidays, the seed catalogs start being delivered to your mailbox. Just looking at the colorful flowers and vegetables is enough to make one swoon with desire.

Container plantings have the advantage of being able to be moved to get the optimal amount of sun. © Carol Labuzzetta, 2021.

When our yards were young, I spent time in the winter planning our gardens. This entailed several key things:

Knowing your site

1. When does your garden get light?
2. How many hours of light does it receive?
3. What kind of soil do you have?
4. What size will your garden be?
5. How much precipitation does your area get each year and when?