Winter in Highlands-Cashiers is that time of year when the garden looks like it’s completely given up on life…but don’t worry, it hasn’t.
It’s just doing what a lot of us wish we could do—curling up under a blanket and refusing to come out until things warm up. Honestly? Sounds good to me!
Even though the yard looks like it’s auditioning for a winter survival documentary, this season is a sneaky little gift for mountain gardeners. It’s the one time the garden sits still long enough for us to catch up.
The best “gardening task” in winter is simply staring at things. Take a cup of something warm, walk outside, and just…look around. With the leaves gone, you can suddenly see the skeleton of your landscape. It’s like your garden is standing there in its underwear, and you’re thinking, “Huh. I didn’t realize it looked like that.”
This is when you notice empty spots that need an evergreen or a plant with winter color. Add that to your mental shopping list, right next to “more gloves” because somehow they always disappear by spring.
January and February are prime time to spoil your soil. Our freeze–thaw cycle is nature’s tiller, so toss down compost or leaf mold to feel productive while the ground does the work. It also keeps your hydrangeas and rhododendrons cozy on those surprise cold nights.
Debby Hall
If you’re itching to actually get your hands dirty, winter sowing is your friend. Grab recycled containers, poke holes, add dirt and seeds, set them outside, and let nature babysit them until spring. The plants sprout when they’re ready—not when impatience kicks in.
While you’re at it, give your evergreens a check. Winter winds dry them out, so keep them mulched and watered during warm spells. A quick walk after the snow melts often reveals small fixes, like a deer fence that lost its last battle.
But the real magic of this shivery season? Dreaming. Flip through seed catalogs and convince yourself this is the year you’ll stay on top of weeding (we both know how that ends). Plan veggie beds, color schemes, or that one big project you might—possibly—tackle in spring.
Up here in Highlands-Cashiers, gardening never really stops; it just changes tempo. These fallow months look quiet, but it’s the good kind of quiet: full of hope, ideas, and the tiniest bit of delusion that we’ll be more organized this year.
And honestly? That’s half the fun.
Happy Gardening!
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