It seems as though winter has arrived in earnest with the coming of the colder days and the ground starting to freeze. Most of us are veterans of our northern winters and along with these colder days seems to come another malady that we call cabin fever. Here are a few tried and true remedies that have been employed by many of us northern gardeners and will work for you too.
- Feed the Birds. When you set up your feeder outside your window, you bring constant movement, color, and shapes. Two very good foods for the birds are black oil sunflower seed and suet cakes. Along with watching the birds, comes the desire to know more about them. Buy a good bird book.
- Force a flower bulb. My favorite is the amyrillis. They come in many colors from deep red to white. The huge blossoms can measure six inches or more in diameter.
- Get outdoors every chance you can get to get some sunshine and fresh air. You know the old Norwegian saying: There is no bad weather, only bad clothing. Try to invest in whatever you need to get out there. The sunshine and fresh air are so invigorating.
- Check your mailbox. The arrival of the mail can seem like the highlight of your day when you are at home. The arrival of some good magazines like “The Northern Gardener” makes it even more fun.
- Read. All gardeners know that gardening doesn’t really start in the spring and end in the fall. It really starts in January with the arrival of the new seed catalogs and a dream of what the garden will be like in the new season.
Increase your social life. The opportunity of becoming a Master Gardener is waiting for you. Information is available through the local Extension Office whose Phone Number is, 507-825-1190 or email, mnext-pipestone@umn.edu. There is also a very active garden club here in our county that would welcome any gardener.