We have made it to the New Year and, for most of us, the cold and snow have taken over. The chilly winter months are a great time to plan your spring and summer garden.

Gardening may be the last thing on our minds because of the weather but there are plenty of things we can do inside to occupy our time and help us plan for the upcoming growing season.

• Study catalogs and surf the Internet for plants we want to grow. We wouldn’t want to waste our precious gardening time in spring doing all of this planning. We like to have plans for our gardens and lists of plants we want to plant in a file so we can easily access it when we want. You can also bookmark websites and products you like so you can go back to them easily.
• Get ideas for your garden from local flower shows, garden clubs and garden forums. Most regions have their flower shows in late winter and offer some great gardening ideas. Local gardening clubs are a fun and cooperative way to share gardening ideas and activities with local plant enthusiasts like yourself.
• (Big Smile Here) Winter is a great time to plan which hostas you would like to divide this spring. You may even plan with friends which hostas you’re going to swap with each other.
• Sketch Out Your Garden. Map out where you want to put your new plants when they arrive. Maybe you’re thinking of starting a completely new garden. Do a few sketches of the area and design it several different ways. Search the Internet for pictures of gardens and use details of some to create your own masterpiece.
• Go antiquing! No garden is complete without statuary and garden art. Go to local antique shops and other stores to find that perfect piece that helps express your distinctive gardening style. We love going to gardens that collect certain themed statuary like birds, frogs, turtles, etc.
• Work on getting your garden labels ready. When the winter weather departs, all you’ll have to do is put them back where they go.