It’s been good and cold here in Central Pennsylvania, which means lots of indoor activities.

 

I repotted all of my African violets this past week and ended up propagating quite a few cuttings. My neighbors and friends can expect tiny plants in a month or so. I even jotted down a few of my favorite tips and tricks for growing these charming houseplants. 

 

It seems we’re having a proper winter now, with temperatures just barely in the double digits. It’s the kind of cold that gets into the wood floors and makes handknit wool socks an absolute must. 

 

 

I know I’m often alone in my love of cold, snowy winters, but I always find there’s a certain enforced peace to be found in them. When it’s cold enough that frostbite becomes an issue, our outdoor adventures become limited. And indoor activities tend to be on the quieter and calmer side. 

Well, except for the intense NERF blaster battles that shake the floorboards and leave me finding green foam darts in the strangest places for weeks. 

Cold winter weekends are the companions of hot tea and shortbread still warm from the oven. One-thousand-piece puzzles are completed in an afternoon instead of a month. Books and a warm blanket become constant companions.

 

And our inside world becomes quieter even as the wind whips outside. 

When I tell people that winter is my favorite season, I’m often asked what my favorite winter sport is. I don’t have a favorite. I like them all, whether it’s watching snowflakes fall against the light of the streetlamp, knitting for hours in front of the fire, or bundling up to walk around the park in the snow. 

 

 

While the general populace contends with cabin fever, we gardeners start getting the itch for the feel of tiny round seeds slipping from our fingers into sun-warmed soil. We start dreaming of the taste of that first ripe tomato. We long to see shoots of green peeking out of the snow. 

 

 

But, my friends, even as we fill our pages at Rural Sprout with everything you need to know to get your growing season started right, I would encourage you not to rush through winter. Most gardeners have noticed that mother nature can’t be rushed. Each season is important in the cycle of the year. And she will get to the next one when she’s good and ready. 

We humans have this uncanny ability to never be happy with what’s happening right now or what we’ve got right in front of us. 

 

 

These snowy days and nights aren’t going anywhere for a while. (Which is good news for the new skating rink in the park.) So, my friends, I would encourage you to slow down, even if it’s just for a few moments, and enjoy what is. Right now, today. Even if what is, is frigid temperatures and the wind rattling the windowpanes. 

 

Stop and appreciate this rest because before you know it, we’ll be worrying about flea beetles in the eggplants, when it’s going to rain again, and what to do with all of the zucchini. 

 

Enjoy this annual pause given to us to rest and recharge, while the soil we grow in every year does the same. The hustle and bustle of spring will be here before you can blink. And speaking of spending time reading, we’ve had another busy week at Rural Sprout with plenty of great new articles for you.