What do you do in winter when you can't garden?

[Anniekay]

I was wondering how we gardeners occupy ourselves when the ground is too frozen to tend our gardens.

I started making braided rugs from sheets I buy at Thrift Shops. It helps me while away the hours until spring comes.
This was my first one. You can tell because the center is sooo badly done!! The center being straight and even is the hardest part.
But I have improved.

My second to wipe my feet on coming in from the garden.

My best one so far. I used smaller widths of sheets so it took longer but my center piece is getting there.!!

So,
What do the rest of you do when you can't garden?

 

[Sandy Ground]

@Anniekay thats a very difficult question to answer. A lot depends on how harsh the Winter is here. If I omit what seems the endless clearing of snow, or hibernating, and in no particular order, then its: Woodworking or metalworking projects. Quite often a combination of both. Make a bit of what I call music on one of my guitars. Plan future garden projects or holiday trips. Those things are just a start, there are others.

 

[Meadowlark]

I garden 365/24/7. Winter is one of the most enjoyable times to garden here in this area. It can also be the most productive times. Cool temps open up a wide variety of veggies that otherwise can't be grown here.

The hardest part of winter gardening is coming up soon...getting started. Cover crops need to be processed, raised rows prepared, and plants started.

I look forward to winter gardening with great anticipation.

 

[Mike]

Yes, I fully plan on gardening straight through winter this year too. Outside of that, though, I cover high school football across the entire state of Texas and I love to hunt. So, as if I didn't have enough stuff to keep me busy in the winter, let's throw in another gardening season too!

 

[Sandy Ground]

This photo shows two things. First, the reason I cant do much gardening in Winter. Second, what the weather people here said was a "light snowfall."

 

[Anniekay]

This photo shows two things. First, the reason I cant do much gardening in Winter. Second, what the weather people here said was a "light snowfall." View attachment 1048

Is that the frost on the outside of your window? Looks more like you had a blizzard !!

 

[Sandy Ground]

Is that the frost on the outside of your window? Looks more like you had a blizzard !!

Not frost, just snow outside. Luckily, there was no wind on that day.

 

[Sheal]

Are instructions or patterns available for the rugs please Anniekay? I'd like to try making one.

Although there's some snow fall here in winter, quite often it's possible to work in the garden pruning, and if the soil isn't frozen planting shrubs. I've just moved house so I'll spend this autumn and part of the winter months working in the garden planting shrubs that are currently in pots.

When time allows I sew cross stitch....this one below has since been framed.





I started work on Thor's Hammer (Mjolnir) last year but lack of concentration due to health issues delayed progress. I'll get back to it soon though.

 

[Anniekay]

Are instructions or patterns available for the rugs please Anniekay? I'd like to try making one.

Although there's some snow fall here in winter, quite often it's possible to work in the garden pruning, and if the soil isn't frozen planting shrubs. I've just moved house so I'll spend this autumn and part of the winter months working in the garden planting shrubs that are currently in pots.

When time allows I sew cross stitch....this one below has since been framed.

View attachment 1054

View attachment 1055

I started work on Thor's Hammer (Mjolnir) last year but lack of concentration due to health issues delayed progress. I'll get back to it soon though.

Your crosstitches are beautifull !!

I learned rugmaking by watching UTube videos. I advise you to watch a few different ones as there are different stitches and a few different technique. After watching a few of them you can pick what technique suits you the best.

I started by tearing my sheets into four inch strips as those go faster and are more forgiving. After completing a few at that width, I "graduated" to 1 1/2" wide strips. That was the last picture of the long rug infront of my stove. The narrower strips give you a tighter weave.

They're great because you can throw them into the washer and they clean up nicely, then throw them over the line to dry.

 

[Sandy Ground]

@Anniekay and @Sheal I do like your handcraft. It reminded me of a non-profit organisation that has a permanent exhibition. Its in a town hich is about a 45 minute drive from here. The members do similar things. I'm sure you both would find it very interesting and would probably get quite a bit of inspiration.

If you have read the "Sandys Garden" topic on here, you will have seen references to what I call my Tea Shed. All of these items are in or on there.

First off, the light. I got the glass bowls from a Flea Maket, and turned them into this...

Then came this surround to the fire...



As drinking tea is a kind of religion to me, I then made this Credence Cabinet to put it in...



Finally, drinking tea is best done with guests...so Alice and Co. got invited to the tea party in the form of a Weather Vane..

 

[Anniekay]

@Anniekay and @Sheal I do like your handcraft. It reminded me of a non-profit organisation that has a permanent exhibition. Its in a town hich is about a 45 minute drive from here. The members do similar things. I'm sure you both would find it very interesting and would probably get quite a bit of inspiration.

If you have read the "Sandys Garden" topic on here, you will have seen references to what I call my Tea Shed. All of these items are in or on there.

First off, the light. I got the glass bowls from a Flea Maket, and turned them into this...View attachment 1056

Then came this surround to the fire...

View attachment 1057

As drinking tea is a kind of religion to me, I then made this Credence Cabinet to put it in...

View attachment 1065

Finally, drinking tea is best done with guests...so Alice and Co. got invited to the tea party in the form of a Weather Vane..

View attachment 1059

Your metalwork is remarkable !! And your imagination includes various decorative styles. Very nice !!

 

[Sheal]

Your crosstitches are beautifull !!

Thank you for the compliment Anniekay. Thank you also for the rug making information. I'll check out youtube as you suggested.

 

[Sheal]

Thank you also for the compliment.

What talent you have Sandy! You've produced some beautiful pieces of furniture as well as laying your hand/s to other things.

 

[Logan]

@Anniekay ,@Sandy Ground and @Sheal
Well done they all look great.

I try and catch up with some cleaning but not much. I like to start thinking of Christmas and what to do with decorations, trees and food preparation.
I still do a bit of gardening when it's not raining.

 

[Sheal]

Thanks Logan.

 

[Logan]

Thanks Logan.

You're welcome

 

[olly-buckle]

There are usually non-growing jobs to do, like making a new bed, or burying wood under an unused bed, cleaning beds up and getting them fit for purpose in the Spring. When the weather gets wet I can usually find something to do in the greenhouse. Failing all that I'll sit in my shed and read, so many books, so little time.

 

[Anniekay]

There are usually non-growing jobs to do, like making a new bed, or burying wood under an unused bed, cleaning beds up and getting them fit for purpose in the Spring. When the weather gets wet I can usually find something to do in the greenhouse. Failing all that I'll sit in my shed and read, so many books, so little time.

What genre do you like reading? I'm a nonfiction girl myself; I want to learn something, but the odd historical mystery novel is in my repertoir as well.

 

[olly-buckle]

Just finished one of Aabranoviche's 'Rivers of London' series, sort of magical detective stuff, consistently good, and the follow up to 'The Accidental adventures of the 100 year old man'. not nearly as good as the first one. I am just finishing off Oman's massive, two volume, tome. 'The Art of War in the Middle Ages', up to the mid 1400's and the wars of the roses, remarkable how little we know about some of those battles tactically when others 500 years before are recorded in some detail. Oman is a terrible writer, but the content is interesting.
Thinking about it, the other thing I do is write the occasional story and put them on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@oliverbuckle522/videos

 

[Dirtmechanic]

We go inside for about a
month from roughly Jan 15 to Feb 15. It is usually 70f daytime by the end of Feb on avg, so only storm systems catch us with freezes randomly after that time period. And it seems to be drifting some across the calendar over the years.