Winter has come! In the midwest, it’s a bit cold. There’s snow on the ground, and the upper layers of earth are freezing solid. No outdoor gardening, really, for now.

So, we move inside! I spent a bit of time yesterday organizing the seed stores, starting a plan for the spring garden. There are a few seeds that didn’t quite make it out for a fall planting (the cold-hardy types that want to spend winter in the cold and snow). Hopefully this was remedied: small seedling trays were filled with seed starter, seeds were planted and watered, and they were moved outside to the small porch greenhouse to spend the rest of winter. We will see how everyone is doing come spring!

Cold-hardy seedlings planted yesterday:

• Pulsatilla, from strictlymedicinalseeds.com
• Bugbane, found on Etsy
• Sweet violet, from strictlymedicinalseeds.com
• Goldenseal live roots – transferred outside in a pot
• Pacific bleeding heart (Strictly Medicinal Seeds)- well, hardiness level is unsure, or need for “cold stratification”, so it’s just in a cooler part of the garage, along with…
• Osha – Palm Beach Seed Company

Also, what I would call a “seed test” – since I couldn’t find fresh seeds during my recent seed shopping experience, I took some Sweet Mace (also called “Mexican marigold”) seeds from 2013 or so and planted them, too. They’ve not sprouted well in prior attempts, so this is basically a test of whether I will be able to have better success or toss the packet and go find more. It sounds like a tasty seasoning, so we will have to wait and see!

Still waiting on the carrots to sprout, and then we can start discussing “Sprout Care”. 

-Dr. Stef

Yesterday was unusually warm for Michigan, reaching around 50 degrees! It was good timing, though, for a day off. Outdoor garden cleanup is important, and makes things much easier when spring arrives.

Leaves have been shredded into mulch, and spread around garden beds, pathways and muddy spots. Buckets have been emptied, and rain barrels, too. Watering cans have been retrieved. A few plants are still happily not going dormant (cranberry, we’re talking about you!), but most have settled into their roots to wait for the sprouting time of spring.

Bugs have gone away. Cardinals have arrived to spend the winter eating leftover berries and seeds. Soon the snow will be flying, and blustery cold winds are coming. 

Look for the beauty of Creation in the winter: the tall, stately forms of trees; the sparkle of the snow; the 6-branched form of a snowflake; the pattern of a frosty window; the bright color of the winter birds visiting.

Soon enough, spring will come, in perfect timing.