Winter Season in the Garden

Anastasia Sinclair, Gardening Teacher at Waldorf School of the Peninsula

Winter Season In the Garden

Now the days are getting cold, and often stormy with rain and wind. The garden plants are mostly dormant, with just a few herbs, greens, and other winter vegetables like carrots and broccoli which were planted in the fall. The primary growth is in the fava beans, winter wheat, and garlic, all of which thrive in December and January. The bulbs are beginning to push through, though no flowers yet.
This winter has seen a lot of rain, and the gardens are a bit flooded in areas. It impacts the soil to work while it is wet, so other crafts and activities can now be taken up.
There is much maintenance to do in the garden, from pruning and cutting back of dead plants to sharpening tools and keeping them clean. We oil the tool handles, rake leaves for the compost, cut back the willow branches for crafts and plant trellises and dig roots for the plant dyes.
Rainy day activities include painting signs for the garden plants, sorting through seeds from last year and labeling, planning the plantings for the spring, washing and painting gourds, cooking dye baths for the natural plant dyes.