Life Lessons the Winter Garden Teaches Us

Nature guides us in vital concepts for life

Nature has some powerful concepts to teach us as humans if we take the time to tune in and listen.

I’ve been thinking about the winter garden as I sit here now. It's freezing outside, and I appreciate the quiet depth it offers us.

What happens to plants during dormancy?

Dormancy is a necessary state for plant survival. Plants have either slowed or completely stopped the growth process in preparation to survive adverse conditions.

While many plants appear dead during dormancy, vital things are happening beneath the surface. Plants and trees shift the energy from active growth to strengthening their root systems and their trunks in the case of trees and shrubs.

Plants also preserve their precious energy for these tasks as their metabolism slows. There is a sense of rest as well. There is relief from the pressure to produce.

The winter garden invites us to ponder some questions that could greatly benefit our lives:

1. What roots in our lives need to be strengthened? Those could be certain key relationships we might take for granted, good habits we let slide, etc.

2. What are those anchoring aspects in life that keep us grounded? The ones that feed and nourish us in adverse life seasons?

3. What old growth from past seasons needs to be cut away so it will not enter the new season?

4. What activities or habits are robbing us of critical rest? How can we prioritize rest to catch up?

5. How can we spend a little more time enjoying nature and the lessons it gives us that bring regeneration to our souls and bodies?

6. How can we cooperate with the season of both rest and preparation and a sense of going deeper?

7. What things need to be added to our lives to bring cozy and protection from harsh conditions? An example is snow, which provides a protective covering to plants in winter.

With the invitation of winter to call us to rest, recharge, and prepare comes the wisdom of when and how to implement those preparation tasks that need to be added to our lives, as well as what dead wood needs to be cut away from previous seasons. To do these things from a place of rest and quiet movement. To intentionally reject frenzy.

For these reasons and many others, I love the winter season in nature. For some reason, the first snow makes me cry due to its sheer beauty and a deep sense of thankfulness.

I also have a deep love for the rare flowers that have the ability to bloom right through snow. I find them to possess the sense of overcoming, when little else can, and a sense of hope that spring will come again. I cherish that delicate burst of color against a sometimes drab backdrop.

You can check out some of my posts about specific flowers that bloom in snow:

Hellebore Flowers: How to Grow, Care For, and Enjoy This Winter Beauty

The Ultimate Guide to Cultivating Stunning Camellia Blooms

And two posts about preparation in winter:

Reduce Your Need for Fertilizer with Green Manure Cover Crops

Worm Farming Side Hustle: Vermicomposting for Profitable Income

When everything is in bloom, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate each one, but when so few do, thankfulness and appreciation naturally rise up.

So, friends, rest, recharge, prepare, and take care of yourselves this season. I’d love to hear in the comments some of the lessons you take away from nature’s lessons in winter.

By Val Garner - all rights reserved.

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