A cold front passed through New Orleans this week…
Although it’s November, I thought I had more time before moving into winter gardening because of my climate. I thought that my fall garden would manage through chilly weather because this sudden temperature drop was only supposed to last a few days.
Not the case.
Full-on freeze! The cold weather was extreme enough to wipe out my okra (hot season crop) the first night. Additionally, I discovered that the temps waiting for us on the other side of the cold front would not climb back up as much as I thought…
This means that the wonderful gardening sweet spot of our second spring (otherwise known as fall) is gradually coming to an end.
My garden is officially transitioning into its final season– I’m now winter gardening.
- YES, I planned for this back in the summer; I knew this day would come.
- YES, I started seeds months ago to replace the crops that would be pulled up.
- And yet, YES, I’m still taken aback watching my garden change like this.
I didn’t brace myself for what this shift would look like or the mental/emotional toll it would have on me. However, the silver lining is that this jarring experience in the garden has taught me a few powerful lessons about transitioning into winter gardening.
1. Recognize Your Feelings
Think about it: when your garden is curated with all of your favorite crops & colors and becomes a space you go to for calm & inspiration, it’s no longer simply just a place where you grow some plants. Your garden becomes a place that tells your story. This is what a garden should be.
Therefore, it’s natural to have an emotional reaction to your garden becoming undone as it transitions to winter. Don’t judge yourself or try to minimize that response. Leave room for your feelings and give yourself grace for having them.
2. Make Your Winter Gardening Plan Early
Winter is not as rigid as most people think; you have options.
Yes, you can take this season for you and your garden to rest. To continue fostering that connection with your garden, allow yourself to wonder and explore how your garden will manifest in 2024.
But if you’d prefer to continue growing, you can start seeds indoors so that they’re ready to go in as soon as the weather permits and you’re not going through the discomfort of looking at empty space when the warm & hot season crops come out.
Whatever you choose to do, plan for it because the transition will be easier if winter doesn’t take you by surprise and decide for you. Having a plan will also give you something to look forward to for the winter season, easing the transition for you.
3. Your Thinking Must Transition, Too
Unlike transitioning from spring to summer or summer into fall, your winter garden will call for you to evolve your thinking as well.
Why? Because the approach to gardening you’ve cultivated for months will not serve you in your winter season. What you’ve learned about tending to warm & hot season crops does not apply here.
- There will be significantly fewer, if any, pollinators. This isn’t a cause for alarm because there’s nothing to pollinate this season.
- Flowers on certain crops signal the end of their lives rather than the start of production.
- The kiss of frost isn’t necessarily fatal– it makes cool/cold season crops taste sweeter.
This shift in thinking will be… disorienting at first.
But if you allow yourself to remain open, curious, and teachable, you’ll soon realize that your winter garden is an opportunity to tell new aspects of your story with different tools.
