Gardening doesn’t have to stop just because it’s winter, especially here in the Pacific Northwest. Winter weather can vary considerably from year to year and even week to week, but it is rare that the ground is consistently either frozen solid or sopping wet for weeks on end. There is often a week or so of open weather when you can get quite a lot done, especially weeding and pruning — and even garden construction jobs! A contractor built our lovely garden shed in one January week.

Gardening through the winter isn’t just good for the garden. In middle age, I began to see several of my contemporaries lose interest in gardening because, after a relatively inactive winter, they would rush out in spring and overdo it, with resulting pulled muscles and backaches. If you find you are just not interested in winter gardening, I’d suggest walking regularly, combined with yoga! 

If you are up for it, however, put on some boots and get out there. Weeding is easiest when the soil is moist, and deep-rooted plants like dandelions and their relatives have less of a grip on the soil. In fine weather, we can also transplant trees and shrubs, distribute compost and mulch, prune hardy deciduous shrubs and fruit trees and complete small construction projects. In lousy weather, I try to take the opportunity to clean, sharpen and oil neglected gardening tools.

Tubs and pots now empty of summer-blooming annuals can be cleaned up to make homes for small evergreen shrubs, violas, and anything else that looks good in winter. Dwarf variegated boxwood is a year-round favorite of mine for containers. If you don’t already own some frost-proof containers, look for high-fired pottery, glazed or not, with adequate drainage holes. Don’t forget to water any potted plants that shelter under the eaves. 

It’s good to get outside this month to clear accumulating leaves and debris that threaten to smother small winter-flowering plants and bulbs that will soon be ready to emerge. Not much coming up in your own garden? Stroll the neighborhood (and nurseries!) this month and next to see what’s in bloom.

Wherever there’s a bit of winter sun, you might spot early crocus species, the first snowdrops, bright yellow winter aconites and dwarf bulbous irises. Primroses and violets may already be in bud. This time of year, we can also appreciate the beautiful patterns on the leaves of winter cyclamen and certain hellebores. 

Winter-flowering shrubs include rosemary, some daphnes, yellow-flowered winter jasmine, pink Viburnum x bodnantense “Dawn,” winter sweet (Chimonanthus fragrans), Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata) and witch hazel (Hamamelis). Garrya elliptica, an evergreen native to our Oregon coast, shows off its long, silver-green tassels now. Camellia sasanqua blooms in late fall through early winter, and, unlike showier large flowered camellias, it sheds its spent flowers cleanly. 

Don’t overlook shrubs that offer color with variegated foliage or colorful bark. Besides the aforementioned variegated boxwood, there’s Osmanthus heterophyllus, which looks a bit like holly but isn’t really prickly. It has both gold- and cream-variegated forms. And, of course, bark can be beautiful too. I am thinking of the shrubby red twig dogwoods, and the peeling, cinnamon-colored bark of paperbark maple.

Now here’s a puzzle. Why is it that almost all the garden plants that bloom here in winter come from Europe, the Middle East and other far-off places? Why have few, if any, native winter-blooming plants evolved in mild-winter regions of North America such as our own? Any theories? 

Rachel Foster has worked as a freelance gardener and writer in Eugene for more than 30 years and has contributed articles to several PNW publications, including, especially, Eugene Weekly. Kim Kelly edits the Garden Palette. Send your questions (and answers) to Gardening@EugeneWeekly.com.