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Although December is often propped up by holiday songs as “the most wonderful time of the year,” those who have to go to and from work in the dark each day might disagree. Still, the winter solstice — which officially marks the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year — isn’t all negative. Afterall, once the solstice passes, the days only get longer and brighter moving forward. For gardeners, this historic and special December day serves as a good reminder to tend to your garden’s winter needs.
In the Northern hemisphere, the winter solstice falls on December 21or 22 and occurs when the earth’s axis reaches its farthest tilt away from the sun. There are some obvious impacts that this lack of light can have on your garden — slower growth for your winter plants, for example. That said, the solstice is also a good time to prepare your garden for the colder temperatures that can come in January and February. You can also use this day as a marker to start planning ahead for spring or focus on all the plants you should start sowing in winter to set your garden up for success once winter passes.
Garden prep you can start during the winter solstice
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For plants that live in your garden year round, you can use the winter solstice as a reminder to insulate them to protect them against the coldest and harshest winter days. There are also all kinds of cold hardy plants and flower seeds to plant in the winter for a beautiful spring garden, and many of them can be sown outdoors around this time. It’s also a great idea to celebrate the winter solstice by planning next spring’s garden layout and purchasing seeds for spring planting. In colder climates, there are also plenty of herb seeds you can plant and grow during the winter solstice like bee balm, that can be started outdoors in containers.
If you struggle with the dark days of winter, take some time during the winter solstice to remember that this marks the return of sunlight, which has an obviously positive impact on your garden. Although it will be hardly noticeable at first, slowly but surely you will see the sun sticking around longer as the winter days work on those seeds you planted during the solstice. Before you know it, spring will be here and it will bring all kinds of little green sprouts with it.
