Gardeners' advice in the slow month of January

Jill Severn

This week the sign in front of the Luck Dental Clinic says “January is like Monday only longer.” Amen to that.

The days are short, sunlight is rare, and by mid-month, many of us have already failed miserably at keeping our New Year’s resolutions.

A TV newscast hailed last January 16 as “Blue Monday,” determined by junk science to be the most depressing day of the year. Less junky scientists natter on about “seasonal affective disorder,” and we buy a special light to treat a malady caused by our need for longer, brighter days.

Maybe that works for some people, but most of us just muddle through with whatever coping strategies come to mind. Some – like chocolate, binge-watching TV, and alcohol – are comforting in the moment, but . . . well, you know.

So as a public service, here is the antidepressant advice gardeners might share with our friends to cheer them up.

For starters, many of us are impatient for the coming of spring, but we lean into enjoying the anticipation. Here’s how we do that:

Go outside

When days are dark and dreary, it actually feels much lighter outside than it does when you’re inside, looking out a window. And there is more to look at outside in January than you might think:

• Buds – stop and look closely at all those bare branches and you’ll see tiny buds fattening up, inching up to the spring starting line.
• Snowberries – this low-growing native shrub sports little white berries on its bare branches. It’s most often at the edge of woodlands, but occasionally in peoples’ yards.
• Winter colors, full of surprises if you open your eyes to them. Last year’s bracken ferns, for instance, are a medley of deep reds, rich browns and orange; the sight of them might inspire you want to repaint a wall.

Look down

The earth is not just lying around doing nothing. If you think it is, you are possibly projecting, but not looking closely.

Tiny green shoots will delight your eyes and raise your spirits. It may be too soon to identify those green infants, but the mystery is part of the fun: keep coming back and eventually all will be revealed.

Gardeners love not just the plants but the growing: that’s what’s fun to watch, to marvel at, and to wonder about.

Photosynthesis – turning sunlight into energy – is plants’ miraculous, mysterious superpower. We wouldn’t exist without it. You don’t need to be a scientist or a theologian to feel grateful for this life-giving phenomenon. Does it exist on any other planet in the universe? We don’t know.

Look up

Bare branches reveal birds’ nests, even on street trees in busy intersections. You don’t even have to get out of your car to see them.

And speaking of birds, BIRDS! It would be hard to stand outdoors for ten minutes and not see some of them. To birds from the frozen north, our home territory is what Mexican beaches are to us: a winter paradise.

We share this world with birds, and we should listen to their voices. Leave your earbuds at home.

Look around

There’s no snow on the ground, and the wind is not howling. The rivers are not flooding, except maybe the Skookumchuck, which floods so often I wonder if it overflows its banks when nearby babies cry.

Even in January, the sun comes out once in a while and gives us a preview of warmth and light.

People in Buffalo, New York and Montecito, California would love to trade places with us.

Look inside

Here’s the bottom line: Gardening is a partnership with nature. It literally grounds us. It fosters a loving relationship with the earth that gives us life.

To the degree that humans have neglected that relationship, we have damaged both our planet and ourselves. And as any mental health expert will tell you, healthy relationships are the best hedge against depression in every season, for everyone.

Jill Severn writes from her home in Olympia, where she grows vegetables, flowers, and a small flock of chickens. She loves conversation among gardeners. Start one by emailing her at  jill@theJOLTnews.com