The days slowly begin to lengthen in the January garden, though most are gray and overcast. Gardeners take a tromp through chilly woods, then curl up with a book to dream of spring.
What to See
- Evergreens provide washes of color as other shrubs and trees stand leafless.
- Birds dine on any remaining holly berries and winterberries and visit baths and pools of water that remain unfrozen.
- Stalks of perennials peek out from under a cover of snow or form hillocks in brown and gray garden beds.
What to Do
While the Spotts crew slows down a bit in winter, we still find plenty of projects to do in the garden. Contact us for free estimates on work suited to winter weather in your Indianapolis garden.
- Removing invasive plants and clearing thickets.
- Designing new ornamental gardens or kitchen gardens to be ready to plant this spring.
- Building raised beds.
- Installing hardscape projects like natural stone patios.
- Dormant pruning apple, pear, and deciduous trees in February or March.
Other Tasks in the Organic Garden in January
- Plan this year’s plantings and map out your kitchen garden.
- Broaden your garden knowledge with our favorite books and websites. We have picks for both experienced and new gardeners.
- Order your seeds from companies specializing in organic and sustainable practices. Some of our favorites are:
- Order fruit trees and soft fruits for delivery at planting time. We’ve listed sources here.
- Watch for thirsty plants. Between now and spring, water plants if we have several weeks of above freezing temperatures and no rain. Especially keep an eye on evergreens like arborvitae, which can suffer from drying out in winter.