If you are in CA, December is a good time for making those final picks and planning where you hope to squeeze them in. January is the busy time in the garden. The rain will sprout weeds, you can finally dig a hole in the ground and the bareroots arrive as soon at the Christmas trees leave the nursery parking lot (well right after the first of the year-they often take a week off to get ready)

And then there is that pruning to do

Of course it depends on where you live, and how your winter goes. Summer is my down time, since it's too hot and dry to work much outdoors, and the days are terribly long and bright. The garden wakes up in autumn with the first rains and with temperatures dropping. Normally I dedicate fall to cleanup, digging and planting, and starting cuttings, all this up to Christmas (this year I haven't yet gotten around to cuttings); then I spend the winter pruning, and undertake odd projects such as building steps. Last year was terribly snowy here and I just couldn't get out to work in the garden: I refuse to busy myself among the roses when there's a foot of snow on the ground. As a result a lot didn't get done. Spring is devoted to gawking in awe at the results of my labors and staring intensely at the fall cuttings, wondering whether they'll grow or not. My husband cuts grass a lot in spring.
Basically I do chores when conditions permit, but this is the basic picture in my situation. Sometimes I just can't get out in the garden for days or weeks because of bad weather. Then I do something else: go on long walks for exercise, read. Winter is also when I update my rose lists. On the forum, which is what you were actually asking about, it's a good time for thoughtful or entertaining posts that go beyond nuts and bolts gardening..though of course many gardeners are still busy in the garden in this time.
Melissa

Winter is our gardening time while summers are the down time (although there is plenty to do, such as watering and trying to keep the plants alive.

It's been so warm here I can't even believe it's almost Thanksgiving:(

I read on here, read rose books, do some outside work, as it is too hot in the summer to get out here as well, look at new roses to buy, with the knowing my husband will kill me if I order any more :) and so forth. I have three girls so they keep me busy aswell, along with my dogs and cats!

Winter--I take a break from gardening. Which I usually need. Clean up and spring pruning and planting bareroots usually begin the last couple weeks in March.

As far as the forum goes, we often entertain ourselves and feed our rose addiction by posting loooooong threads on the two rose galleries --our favorite rose pictures for the past year or roses by alphabet or color or type. Lots of wonderful eye candy!

Kate

This post was edited by dublinbay on Sat, Nov 16, 13 at 10:59

Melissa and I have kind of the same philosophy about gardening. It's too hot to do much except water in the summer, so winter is when I do the "heavy" work in the garden.

Everything that goes in my garden has to be hauled up from the street level, so this is the time when I haul the rocks to be used for borders and raised beds. I plan to work on the paths this year and have decided to use a deep layer of wood chips. They will have to be hauled from the utility's chipping pile.

After the first rain, it's easier to work in my very rocky soil, so this year I am planning on leveling a couple of beds that have low spots. Of course, the material to fill in those low spots will have to be hauled up.

There are also the fall and winter chores that get added to the list.

I am behind schedule because my wood guy took my money and never delivered my winter wood to heat my house. I had to find another wood guy and he can only deliver on Saturday afternoons. So, I have to stop everything and stack wood. Yup. It has to be thrown up from the street level, too.

Other than garden work, this is my chance to work on all of the housework I have put off during gardening season.

As I am now working in an older body, I don't dare stop moving or I'll stiffen up and spring pain will be horrid, so I also increase my exercise routine.

I used to do a lot of catch up work on a rose database, but, now, I am almost too busy to spend much time on that project ... lol.

I have decided that when it snows, I am not going to do one single chore and take some time off. Generally, the snow doesn't stick at my elevation for more than a day or two.

Smiles,
Lyn

I rake leaves all thru November, then settle down to indoor projects, long novels, card games and, some years--but not this one--travel to warm climates. As to roses, I try to plan for spring--new ones, transplanting, new structures--tho it all goes topsy turvy when spring actually comes. Often, a fair amount of "getting to know you" posts on the forum. There have been some very good, long, funny posts.

When I'm not at work one of the first things I do is still to go on this and the general rose forum. Since we're all from different areas someone is doing or thinking something worthwhile and interesting so the posting never stops, although it may be somewhat slower. There are increasing moans about how we can't wait for the spring flush. Since I had about two weeks of a "flush" this spring I'll be spending the winter hoping that next spring's will be much better.

January and early February are pruning time for me, although really only a fraction of the roses will need much, since many are either too young, too small or, like my teas, don't really need it. Reading is a great passion of mine so that will occupy my time, but it also did in the summer since it was too hot for me to be outside in the garden. I have six new roses to plant but don't plan to order any so winter will be rather uneventful.

I plan to spend the majority of my time praying to the rain gods to be kind to us, and the snow gods to drop a heavy pack of snow in the Sierras so we won't have to have water rationing next year.

Ingrid

In my z4 area, I will be giving my roses their final covering this weekend & my outside garden work is done until Apr. The only outside things I have to do during the winter is snow blowing, snow shoveling & trapping rabbits. Some of my new roses are already ordered, but there will be some more plus other plants & seeds to order. In Jan, Feb, & Mar, most of the garden clubs in the area put on winter garden seminars which are well attended. I wish my winters were shorter but I do enjoy the break in the garden cycle as it does give me time to reflect on what has happened in my garden & gives me an opportunity to plan for what needs to be shovel pruned, divided, renovated, moved, etc in my garden.

This post was edited by wirosarian on Sat, Nov 16, 13 at 12:32

And just as I post, here is a local nursery announcing the arrival of the bareroot berries, artichokes, asparagus and Rhubarbs

During the winter I come here to look at all the pics from people in warm climates or places like Australia, lol! It gives me a much needed rose fix.

I also plan and scheme about next years roses. What I might get if something dies and needs replacing or which ones should really be shovel pruned based on the last few years performance. Also how I'm going to play Chinese fire drill and which to move where.

Then of course I do my seedlings. Those help a lot because they are living green and growing roses...even if they are only an inch tall, lol. Sometimes they even bloom which is a real thrill!

We have had pleasantly cool autumn weather. Still seeing sunny days. My recent acquisitions are starting to bloom - a glimpse of what beauty I can expect, come spring!

This winter, I want to read about the history of old garden roses.
I'd like to visit new museum exhibits, try a new restaurant, drink hot tea & be cozy!

Winter after Dec. 21, I start winter sowing vegetables.

Winter is also time for reading, including rose reading. I have nearly complete sets of the American Rose Annuals, and Rose Annuals from the national Rose Society of Great Britain from 1917 forward, which I have been reading. Those were acquired by my father, from a variety of 2nd hand book stores, back in the days when ordinary people could still find and afford such things, and eventually they came to me.

Nothing dampens the enthusiasm of rosarians for talking about roses.

In the garden:

Winter is bare-root rose planting time here. From late December until President's Day, I will be diligently planting the roses I ordered. I will re-assess my garden to see if there is any space left to feed my rose obsession, and plant just one more, or two....if I am lucky:)

When it becomes cold outside and most of my time is spent indoors:
I will embrace it and surround myself with the aromas of the season/holidays, peruse my gardening books, order seeds to plant in the ground during February, shop, shop, shop, drink a rich hot chocolate, sip wine or something that warms the soul, then yearn for Spring so I can start the cycle all over again:)

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Sat, Nov 16, 13 at 22:36

You folks are so fortunate. Here the ground is frozen and while dreaming of where each new rose bed will be I am still shovelling snow.

Only have about 10" of frost right now and I hope for some big snow before it goes deep.....

Josh asks what do we do when winter hits.......the northern half responds with more kids LOL

Finish projects held in suspended animation which were left because gardens are living beings and need attention NOW...or yesterday.

Sit by the fire and read and dream of gardens.

Cath

Winter is insanely busy apart from a couple of weeks around Xmas, it is the busiest and hardest time of year. Seed sowing picks up pace after August, then there is leaf raking, clear-up, pruning fruit trees, bulb planting, bare root planting, wood stacking (sympathies, Lyn), fencing, building, garlic and beans to go in, wood chipping, then veggies start after Xmas in a frenzy. Summer, its just weeding and deadheading and watering - easy, mindless stuff.

So yeah, I usually have a lot to ramble on about on this forum (and do.....at length, in the company of plenty others).
As a rule though, we tend to spend far less time evaluating our mistakes and the vast majority of posts are invariably situated in some sunny uplands of next year's promise....frequently tipping over from fantasy into completely delusional.

Might be time to finally clean the house.

Come back here and cheer me up when I have all the prunings to haul away! I like it when we all say hi on the holidays as well.

Josh, I've been collecting all those old classic OGR books (some available for free download from Google books). I like to read them, make notes...get out the newer books and drool over the eye candy!
I find that I usually have to read something two or three times before it really sticks...
I also wintersow which is fun.
I will put down composted manure on all the beds...
And I agree with Maureen, the house will be cleaner, the laundry put away, the bills promptly paid. Heck, I might even stay awake long enough to watch a movie...
Susan