Before Spring, there’s January

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January may be winding down, but there's still plenty to keep busy with in the garden.

This is a quieter month—less about growth you can see and more about choices that set the tone for what’s coming. Garden folklore has always said that what you tend in winter shows up in spring, even if no one else notices the work.

Outdoors, January is for observing and preparing. Clean and sharpen tools. Protect plants when needed. Pay attention to where the sun falls and where water lingers. These small tasks make a big difference later.

Indoors, houseplants take the lead this time of year. With less outdoor work to distract us, January is the perfect moment to check light, rotate pots, wipe leaves, and make sure plants are growing—not just surviving. Old gardeners didn’t separate indoor and outdoor growing the way we sometimes do. A plant is a plant, and care still counts.

And then there are the seeds.

January has long been a planning month—sorting seed packets, making lists, imagining what will grow where. Folklore says gardeners who plan with intention grow with confidence. Whether you’re starting seeds soon or simply organizing what you have, this is the beginning of the season, even if it doesn’t look like it yet.

To keep it simple, I’ve put together a one-page January garden checklist that covers outdoor tasks, houseplants, and seed planning—all in one place.

👉 Download the January Garden Tasks here

January gardening isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right few things and trusting the rest will follow.

Keep going. Keep growing.