5 Ways to Keep Your Garden Thriving in Winter

As French existentialist writer and philosopher Albert Camus once observed, "In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer." This sentiment rings especially true when gardening through the winter.

A typical winter garden may appear barren and cold, covered in snow and fallen leaves. Beneath the surface, however, life continues to thrive: spring bulbs patiently wait to bloom, sugar maples gather sap, and gardeners eagerly look forward to the upcoming seasons of growth.

Though winter is a quieter time, there's still much to be done in the garden. The cold months from December to March offer a perfect opportunity for constructing cloches, cold frames, and even greenhouses to extend the growing season. Additionally, it's a great time to sow early spring crops from seed. With the garden's framework laid bare by winter, it's an ideal time (weather permitting) to dig new garden beds, create pathways, and gather sticks for staking beans and peas.

5. Create a Solid Structure for Your Garden

Take a look around. Observe closely. Winter exposes a garden's underlying structure. The calm months from December to March are the perfect time to strengthen your garden's framework by adding paths and creating new beds.

Building a garden path requires effort, but the process is quite straightforward. Start by deciding on the type of surface you'd like to use. Options like slate, bluestone, brick, pea gravel, and even hardwood mulch are all great choices. Next, outline your path using spray paint or string. Then, dig along the marked path to the depth of your chosen surface material (plus a couple of extra inches if you're using flat stones or bricks). For stone or brick paths, lay a sand base to help level them. If you're using mulch or gravel, simply fill the trench with your material, fill in any gaps, and you're finished!

Creating new garden beds or expanding existing ones is simple, and you can even skip the digging process. First, outline the borders with spray paint or string. Then, lay overlapping newspaper (about eight sheets thick) over the area for the new bed. Cover the newspaper with 4 inches of compost, and then add 6 to 8 inches of shredded leaves or pine straw on top. By March, the mulch will have settled, and all that's left to do is cut through the newspaper to plant your seedlings.

In the next section, we'll explore another fantastic winter gardening technique: starting seeds indoors.

4. Begin Your Seed Starting Journey

Starting seeds indoors has many benefits: it’s more cost-effective than purchasing seedlings, it allows you to harvest your plants sooner, and with uncontaminated soil, your seedlings can grow stronger and healthier than those raised in commercial settings. Moreover, saving your own seeds over time lets you cultivate unique varieties that will make you a star among heirloom gardeners worldwide.

To begin, select a clean container such as an egg crate, seed starter tray, peat pot, or even a deep ice cube tray, and fill it with a sterile growing medium. Ensure that the container has good drainage, and if not, make holes in the bottom. Plant your seeds following the instructions on the seed packet, then place the container inside a large, loose, transparent plastic bag. This bag will help increase the temperature and humidity for the seedlings. If your seeds require sunlight to germinate (though not all seeds do), put the container in a warm, sunny location, rotating it occasionally to keep the stems growing straight. Check the soil often, keeping it moist but not overly wet. Once your seedlings develop four or more leaves, start adding fertilizer. Cold-weather crops such as broccoli, cabbage, celery, leeks, and various lettuces can be started indoors during the winter months.

To ensure the best chance for tender seedlings to thrive, you must harden them off in a cold frame or under a cloche before planting them outdoors. You will learn how to create a cloche in the following section.

3. Build a Cloche

One effective way to bring your plants to harvest a few weeks sooner is to protect them from wind and frost with a simple, affordable cloche. A cloche acts as a protective cover for plants, shielding them from cold temperatures. You can build a cloche at any time, as long as it’s ready for use when you start moving your seeds outdoors in February or March. The beauty of a cloche is its versatility—you can make one from almost anything. It can be large or small, short or tall, stationary or portable. Here are a few methods for constructing your own cloche:

You can also fill a large bucket or a small barrel with soil, placing a stake in the center. Set your plant pots inside and cover everything with plastic sheeting. Secure the plastic by weighing down the edges with bricks or using a locking ring around the top of the bucket.

Bend half-inch PVC pipes into hoops, resembling croquet wickets. Cut the ends at a sharp angle and stake them into the ground. Arrange as many hoops as needed, then cover them with painter’s plastic to create a tunnel for your garden bed. Weigh the plastic down with gallon jugs or secure it using garden stakes.

In his book "Four Season Harvest," Eliot Coleman recounts how, as an April snowstorm blankets his New England garden, he dons his coat and heads out to his cold frame to gather fresh salad greens. The advantages are clear—like a mini unheated greenhouse, a cold frame lets you grow cool-season crops, even in winter.

Building a cold frame is quite easy. You'll need a saw, a drill, two 12-inch boards, one 8-inch board, an old window, screws, and hinges. To keep things simple, the dimensions of your cold frame should match those of the window you're using as a lid. The longest 12-inch board will form the back of the frame. Cut two more 12-inch boards diagonally, so that one end measures 12 inches and the other tapers to 8 inches — these will be the sides. Secure the sides, back, and front with wood screws to form a basic open rectangle. For added support, install L-shaped brackets at each of the four corners. Finally, attach the old window on top with rust-resistant hinges, and use a stick to prop it open for ventilation on sunny days.

While many gardeners can make do with a cold frame, the most passionate winter gardeners dream of the ultimate gardening tool: a greenhouse. Learn more about greenhouses in the next section.

1. Extend the Growing Season With a Greenhouse

Dedicated gardeners aspire to grow fresh, local, organic produce year-round. A greenhouse makes this possible. Known by many names, such as a hothouse, cool house, potting shed, nursery, or glass house, greenhouses come in various forms and sizes. DIY versions typically use PVC or metal frames covered with UV-resistant greenhouse plastic. Garden stores offer greenhouse kits in various styles and price points, catering to all needs.

Similar to cloches and cold frames, greenhouses harness solar energy to create a warm, humid environment where plants can flourish, bloom, and grow beyond their usual outdoor growing seasons. To maximize sunlight, place your greenhouse in an open location — one that remains sunlit even when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky.

The two most common types of greenhouses for home gardeners are cold houses and cool houses. Cold houses offer warmth and protection, but in very cold weather, the temperature inside can still drop below freezing. Cool houses, on the other hand, maintain a minimum temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. While a cool house will prolong the growing season compared to a cold house, both types provide far greater flexibility for harvesting than a standard outdoor garden bed.

Make sure to give old man winter a nod of defiance as you reap the rewards of your winter garden. Between December and March, crops that thrive in cool and cold houses include beets, broccoli, green onions, radishes, and a variety of salad greens.