Not much to see in our gardens now. Things are turning from green to brown and muddy. Or are they?

What is so bad about brown anyway? Take a look at some of the great shapes, textures, colours and movements going on right under your nose. In our garden I was watching snowballs being tossed around in the wind. I forget what the plant was called when it was in bloom, now they are huge brassy coloured snowballs on sticks. Kind of pretty in their way. That got me started looking at the rest of our so called dormant garden.

If you really look you can see that it's not dormant, not yet at least. There are tons of birds around still. We won't even talk about those other garden raiders: squirrels, raccoons, skunks, rabbits, the odd deer and pets. I like watching the birds in the garden. How do those little things survive all winter long? On days when we are complaining of cold there are those fragile looking birds out there, 24 hours, 7 days a week right outside in the cold. It's a bit humbling to think that those tiny birds are tougher, more rugged than we are.

Of course we know kids like to be outside, in the muck and snow (if you are lucky enough to have snow). Kids enjoy nature. Even the most game addicted kid I know likes to get out there once his parents push him out the door. The mud may seem just mucky to us but if you look at it, there is life in that mud. It's holding the essentials of everything your garden needs. Also, if there is still mud it's not all that cold yet. You still have time to wrap up and tidy up your garden for the winter.

Not a lot to do over the winter in a garden. Before it starts you can cut back the things that have finished off. I am perfectly happy to leave most of them as they are. It gives you something to look at besides a garden full of stumps. Also, its natural that way. Later, the snow will come and push them down to become their own natural fertilizer.

Some plants will not over winter and those need to be brought in and packaged up for the winter. If you can, leave them in pots and let them go dormant in your basement, laundry room, or whatever available space you have. A coat closet is okay if they won't be in your way there. All they really need is to exist without being disturbed much. Don't water them too much, some don't need any water at all. It's hard to know which are which until you have experimented a few seasons. This is one of the times it's great to have a garden journal. You can keep track of all your plant experiments and remember which plant did what.

Another thing I'm watching in our garden this season are the evergreens. All summer they sort of seem bland and boring. They don't DO anything. It's only now that we can appreciate them. Now, they are in their element. Around them the garden is shades of brown, gold and white, the perfect foil for their splash of green.

So, enjoy your winter garden. It's not the end, just a new beginning.