“God grant me patience—just don’t make me a gardener.” Gardeners laugh at this because it’s true! Gardening constantly reminds us that everything has a season, and every season has a reason.

Winter is often the hardest time for gardeners because we want to see green growth. We want plants to look alive and busy. But winter isn’t about fast results. It’s a slower time, and that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. This is the season for letting things rest and for taking care of what will matter later.

A gardener has to be an optimist. When you look at an acorn and believe it will become a big oak tree someday, that takes patience. Gardening doesn’t work well with a “right now” attitude. Things grow when they’re ready, not when we want them to.

During winter, the focus should be on caring for the soil. This is a great time to add compost and improve the ground so plants will have what they need when spring comes. It’s also the right time to prune trees and shrubs, which helps them grow stronger new branches in the months ahead.

Winter gardening is really about slowing down. You’re still tending your garden, just in a different way. If you take care of it now, it will reward you later.

CJ Brehm-Stern