1. Order some free seed catalogs and check out all the cool varieties you can grow in your garden this year. Some of my favorites are (and I'm not being paid anything from them) Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Territorial Seeds, and Stark Brothers Nursery .
2. Plan your garden and set goals! Once you see what's available, you can draw out a rough sketch of your garden and plan out what you want to grow. You can try out a new variety of vegetable or flower or a new way of cooking or preserving your produce. One of the things I love about gardening is that there are always new things to learn about and try. Which leads me to my next point...
3. Spend some time this winter reading up on an aspect of gardening you're interested in. You can find lots of great articles at www.motherearthnews.com or check out this blog post I wrote on some books I recommend.
4. Enjoy a houseplant or two. There are countless varieties available at your local garden center. One of my favorite ideas is to grow an herb plant such as basil or parsley that will also provide a welcome freshness to your winter cooking.
5. If you get some unusually warm days, as we typically do here in central pa, you can take the opportunity to get some minor hardscaping done. For instance, I know I'd like to create a simple fence around my raspberry canes off the ground so it's easier to mow around this year. As long as the ground isn't frozen, I should be able to get that done when I get time. I also have at least one place where I'd like to take out the grass and add mulch and stone. It's not as much fun as growing stuff, but it will save me time in the Spring.
6. Pruning is a common winter practice. If you have fruit trees and bushes, rose bushes, or brambles, then you'll need to spend some time pruning them this winter. Find more information about how to prune, check out this post.
So, there are my six best ideas to enjoy your winter. How do you enjoy gardening when it's too cold outside?
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