By Dave Zeldon and Ely Schweyer

Got cabin fever? Perhaps you’re going a little stir crazy looking out the window and seeing the drab, limited pallete in your seemingly lifeless outdoor space. It’s important to embrace this time of year as the composting and cleansing part of Earth’s cycle before spring’s renewal – but that doesn’t mean we should be trapped inside forever. Here’s a winter/early spring list of activities, divided by indoor (Part 1) and outdoor (Part 2), for the gardener and yard keeper.

☝️ First, let’s quickly note the important activity happening under the snow – and how your actions now will affect the summer garden!

What's Going on Outside When We Aren't Paying Attention?

Before heading out to attend to these jobs have a look at the ground beneath you.

   If it is frozen hard you are good to go but avoid treading on the crowns of perennials.

   If it has been warm and sunny and the soil is warm and dry, consider laying down a few planks to walk on.

   If the soil is soggy then postpone those tasks until it has dried. What we are trying to protect is not your shoes but the soil itself.

   Ideally, soil is comprised of 50% solid materials such as minerals and organic matter in various stages of decomposition, and 50% open air space. Water from rain or melting snow enters the soil, displacing the air. Wet soil is easier to squish down and that process is called compaction.

   While walking on wet soil would not seem to have much effect, it occurs within the depth where annuals, perennials and lawn grasses have their roots. Compaction makes it harder for roots to grow through the soil. Roots can grow stronger to push aside the soil particles, but tougher roots are less effective at drawing in nutrients and moisture. Removing air spaces makes it more difficult for water to percolate down so compacted soils remain wetter. Plants don’t grow as well and are more prone to insect damage.

   The freeze/thaw cycles of fall, spring, and winter heave the soil relieving compaction and aerating the soil; a good way to start the growing season. Preventing further damage to the soil is relatively simple. Stay off it when it’s wet. Later, consider using pavers or pathways in heavily travelled areas of the lawn. Aerate the lawn with a machine that removes small plugs of soil and redistributes them over the surface. In beds and borders, add compost and use a thick mulch layer to absorb some of the pressure.

 And stay off it when it’s wet.

With this in mind, we can appreciate Earth’s renewal capabilities, as well as prevent destroying our yards and gardens!

Part 1: Activities for When it’s too Cold and the Soil isn’t Ready Yet

Yup, it’s bleak out there. It’s time we make that herbal tea and turn our attention to creating a lively, green indoor environment, even if just to get us through the winter. Here’s a to-do list for trapped gardeners and plant enthusiasts to make the most of our wintry sentence.

Indoors: Get Inspired!

• Expand your knowledge: There’s an endless plethora of botanical media at our fingertips, use this down time to learn more!

• Sustainable winter crafts: Why buy décor and gifts when you can make them from materials found outside? Perhaps you dried flowers or found some interesting seed pods – time to display them, and perhaps, eventually compost them.

• Visit botanical gardens: Ely’s boyfriend took her to the Royal Botanical Gardens as a birthday gift last year! Botanical gardens are a great way to experience interesting plants being preserved in a welcoming environment that differ from the dreary winter outside.

• Get floral: Try buying flowers and displaying your own arrangements! Colour is something we sometimes lack in the wintry months, and this is a good way to introduce it impermanently.

Indoors: Thinking Ahead!

• Use this winter down time to plan the next garden season - find more here on garden planning. 

• Use a garden journal to assist your garden planning - see here inspo for garden journaling. 

• Consider planning companion plants - see more here on companion planting.

• Go pot shopping – your local greenhouses and ceramic shops would love your support in the winter.

Indoors: New Beginnings!

• Bulb forcing and small science experiments: Flowering bulbs like amaryllis (more on amaryllis here) aren’t just a holiday splendor! Now is also the time to create cuttings to share with friends.

• Invest in winter fruiting botanicals like indoor fruit trees. Small, potted citrus by the window don’t only liven up the place but offer nutritious treats in the winter. Consider a calamondin!

• Microgreens - see our blog about it! When it’s too early to start seedlings that will go in the ground, you can still garden right on your kitchen counter.

• In late winter, start seedlings: but make sure you don't do so too early! Untimely seedlings can be too leggy before it's time to plant them outside - learn about hardening off seedlings here.

Part 2: When the Soil IS Ready!

Suit up!

Outdoors: Don’t Fall Behind!

• Appropriate seasonal décor: It goes without saying stringing lights and ornaments everywhere is good for the spirits in these dreary months… however 😬… come February, they seem to lose their vigor. Taking the décor down in preparation for new exciting things to come is also good for the soul! Remember to recycle your Christmas tree (see how here)!
• Turn your compost! Perhaps you’ve faithfully continued to add to your compost all year – your garden thanks you! On a warm day, remember to turn it and aerate it so it’s ready for spring.
• Cover all your bases: Make sure to prevent rodents from damaging your tree bases by wrapping them well above the anticipated snow level – so rodents can’t chew your unprotected trees with the helpful elevation of snow!

Outdoors: Get Inspired!

• Go for nature walks: if you can safely go for a walk, hit the trails or stroll around your neighbourhood! A slow-paced change of scenery will help to fight your cabin fever, keep you active, and help you gather inspiration from the natural world.

• Visit your local maple syrup producers for tours.

• Don’t forget our critters: Provide winter homage and appropriate food for our nonmigratory friends (i.e., hutches and feeders) outside windows where pets can observe nature too!

Outdoors: Thinking Ahead!

• Winter weeding: Some tough varieties of plants have evolved to use other plants’ winter dormancy to their advantage, tugging them out now will ensure that you and all the wanted plants in your garden have a fair start this spring.
• Manage snow piling: Heaped snow piling can kill plants including lawn, as well as introduce gravel and debris to areas where gravel is not wanted. Make sure your snow piles aren’t suppressing anything you’d like to live this summer.
• Early spring: Perhaps ice storms and plows have done a number on your trees and shrubs - prune broken branches to prevent pests and disease from entering your plants.
• Litter control: pick up the debris revealed by melting snow so it doesn’t venture farther into natural habitats or tempt wild animals to hurt themselves.  

Outdoors: Start Something New!

• Cold hardy crops in cold frames: Cold frames are doable! Use recycled materials - Victory gardens often used car windshields and old windows – to construct in-ground beds facing the sun (southwards) for passive solar heating.

• Winter sowing: Find more on winter sowing here.

We hope these suggestions help you stay green this spring and winter! For more gardening activities, see our other blogs here. We hope to see you this spring (March 5^th, 2026) at Eising Greenhouses and Garden Centre! 🌱❄️

Our DIY holiday decor craft workshops are coming up soon! We can’t wait to show our friends in Simcoe all of our latest ideas for homemade Christmas crafts. While the traditional DIY Christmas wreath and homemade Christmas tree topper are tried and true classics, we wanted to think outside the gift box this year and come up with some modern Christmas DIY decor pieces. These gorgeous pieces are sure to garner lots of oohs and ahhs from guests—they won’t believe you made them all by yourself! Our outdoor pieces are made to last through December until Christmas, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy their beauty. All class fees include materials.

Winter Greens Insert For Holiday Urns

Festive urns are a classic decor piece that we sell a lot of here at Eisings, and now you can create one of your own in your favourite wintery colour scheme with fresh greenery, shiny ribbons, and other Christmas accoutrements. This piece fits inside a classic urn, so you can display it inside your favourite urn or frost resistant pottery.  Place it as a welcoming piece on your front porch or even your back deck where you can view it out your patio doors! You’ll love the classy touch it adds to your outdoor winter decor. 

Take part in this fun, interactive workshop on November 21st at 6:30 pm or November 23rd at 10:00 am. Class fees are $60 plus tax.

Very Merry Mini Christmas Tree

If you prefer classy over kitschy, this creative take on the classic holiday tree makes an attractive outdoor display! The wire tree frame nestled in a bed of vibrant greenery, pinecones, berries, and ribbons is a perfect blend of traditional decor and modern design concepts. Set it up on your front porch, or along your front stairs to show it off! When the compliments start rolling in, you’ll get a kick out of telling folks you made it all yourself. 

Join us on either November 23rd at 1:00 pm, or November 30th at 10:00 am. Class fees are $70 plus tax.

Christmas Welcome Planter

This adorable holiday welcome sign planter has flown off the shelves in previous years, so we decided to host a special workshop to give you a chance to create your own! With all the entertaining we do over the winter months, a festive outdoor welcome sign adds that warm, cozy, and inviting feeling to your home. If you like to craft your own Christmas ornaments and give them away as gifts, you should absolutely join this workshop. Our welcome planter has that personalized touch that makes them all the more heartfelt when gifted to someone special in your life. 

Join us on November 30th at 1:00 pm to make your own. Class fees are $85 plus tax.

Holiday Sphere

If you prefer DIY Christmas decorations that are less on the traditional side, and a little more sleek and modern, you’ll love our holiday spheres. They’re perfect for holding flameless candles outdoors! Evergreen sprigs and twigs with berries spill out from the dome, creating a beautiful canopy of green and red. It’s easy to switch out the greenery with other seasonal plants depending on the month, so you can try re-using this piece for Halloween and Easter craft decorations. 

There are two opportunities to join us at our greenhouse in Simcoe to make your own holiday sphere: November 28th or December 5th at 6:30 pm. Class fees are $75 plus tax.

DIY Christmas Centrepiece

We love Christmas centrepieces! We spend so much time around the dinner table around the holidays, so these DIY elegant Christmas decorations are always sure to get lots of attention. There’s something so sweetly nostalgic and homey about a beautifully decorated holiday table, and the personalized touch of a handmade centrepiece is truly the icing on the cake. An artful combination of winter greens, pinecones, berries, and silky ribbons make for a stunning arrangement, but knowing exactly how to piece it all together can be a bit tricky. 

Join us on December 12th at 6:30 pm, and we’ll walk you through all the steps to create your own! Class fees are $45 plus tax.

If you’ve got any other holiday crafts you’re hoping to create, feel free to stop by Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre in Simcoe to stock up on supplies! We love getting ready for the holidays, so don’t hesitate to ask us for help with picking the perfect holiday greenery to brighten up your home.