Is anyone planning on "wintering"?

[user746016]

I'm taking down some of the decorations but have decided to keep up some fairly lights and candles and some of the decorations that are more wintery than overtly christmassy. It always feels so bare when everything comes down and it makes the house look cheerful in the cold dark months.

I have also planted some indoor bulbs which are doing well so will hopefully provide some glimpses of spring.

Lots of fires, cosy blankets and books to see us through.

Any other nice ideas to keep the winter feeling cheerful rather than bleak?

If you're not into gardening I would say less is more. I'd focus in on the season where you enjoy being out in the garden and plant flowers accordingly. A few low maintenance flowering shrubs. Lavender where I am seems to survive year in year out, including the french variety.

@ssd What kind of garden have you got and how big is it? Which direction does it face and how much is in shade of trees etc. That's the first thing to think about! Perhaps you could draw yourself a rough diagram with position of existing beds trees, paths/patio etc

Then I think I'd start with one bed, maybe near a window that you look out of.

It is a good time to be planning now as there's very little that can be actually sensibly planted out in January unless you are in an extremely mild climate.

You could try the spring bulbs indoors thing if you can find any spring bulbs (snow drops, mini daffodils, hyacinth, grape hyacinth, crocus, tulips) for sale right now. Then once they have finished flowering you could plant them out in the garden ( still in leaf - it's called planting "in the green") ready to flower there in spring 2026!

Do a small area of bed very well, weed free, barrier mulch planting and then move to next even if it's a square metre at a time. It will be less overwhelming and more rewarding. Build a pond, install some squirrel proof bird feeders - sun flower seeds and peanuts only so no rats, you will be rewarded every day.

Lots of lovely relaxing mixes on Sounds too. I also like to listen to Caprice Classical when I'm reading. They have variants like Piano, Guitar etc.

All of the above! Do you remember a few years ago it was Hugga I think Swedish meant cosy warm, getting a virtual hug..I change curtains in our bedroom and living room, thicker, darker, floor length. Fairy lights, fake log burner, that picture of the fireplace is gorgeous. I used to have a real log basket ,real logs, but on my second puppy since having the stove and living here,it's not an option.

This has brought back forty year old memories of a certain music teacher and a certain draught excluder in my school...such times! 😁

Yep, fewer and fewer fairy lights find their way back into the Christmas cupboard every year! Winter is depressing. Lights, candles and blankets help.

I love Hygge or wintering, whatever you want to call it. I think you just have to appreciate every season for what it offers, like eating in season produce.

In the spring and summer we’ll all be expected to be outdoors having fun and socialising till it goes dark at 10pm. That’s fine, but in the meantime I’ll stay home snuggled up on my sofa with a blanket and a fire, and recharge my batteries.

I can recommend a book - Making Winter by Emma Mitchell. A friend bought me it a long time ago and I return to it every year.

Love this thread
I’ve just got back from Sainsburys and they had Daffodils in so I picked up a few bunches I have put some in my hallway and lounge and will give a bunch to my Dd as she’s going back to university today so hopefully they’ll add a bit of colour to her room and make her smile like they do me

A lot of supermarkets are getting the little pots of bulbs now, I have them indoors when they've Finnished flowering they get planted outside. Hellibores coming up, shame the flowers always point downwards, unfortunately Daphne's don't like my garden! I do have elaeagnus and sarcococa which smell lovely near the conservatory door.

I have a small collection of lovely fairy lights (powered by rechargeable batteries) which are placed in beautiful glass vases that have been gifts over the years. Once the dark nights set in I switch them on every night to cheer the place up. Been doing this for years.

I popped into the charity shop yesterday and picked up a crystal bowl (£3!) which I’m going to plant some bluebells into for when the paper whites are over.

I have just bought this on Vinted and was wondering if I could get away with having it up for a few weeks now Christmas is over.

Yes, absolutely. It's very neutral.

I think I’ll leave it up from the autumn through to February.

Dh suggested this. Good to know it has a name!

Fairy lights up here all year around

I really don’t have a knack for interior decor, but last year I started looking at my clutter differently and realised that I preferred the piles of books and half finished crossword to arrangements of knicknacks. So I started experimenting - finding a nice basket for my crochet and spinning yarns, choosing nice coasters to land a hot mug, and putting my hot water bottles inside furry covers and cushions. I’d like to replace my garish blankets too, with neutrals but I’ve only seen cheap fleece ones so I’m holding off.

I feel pressured to take down the Christmas decorations but I don’t think I’d be in any hurry yet if there wasn’t so much judgement about it. This year I’m going to do it in stages - just starting with the overtly Christmas stuff for now. I also celebrate Imbolg or Lá le Bríde and I never bring spring flowers into the house before then. Feb 1st really feels like the new year to me, and I start itching to plant things, and get that clean sweep energy.

I keep my outside lights on my balcony up all year.

I love this thread 😀 😍

Sounds lovely. I don't celebrate Christmas but do have lots of fairy lights up around the house and garden all year round. We don't use main lights in the house as we love lamps and candles for atmosphere. I spend most evenings crocheting or doing anything creative. It's cosy under a heated throw with my dogs and cats around me. I live with dh and dd but have other dcs and dgc around a lot. I just love this cosy time of year xx

Also have lots of houseplants under growing lights for this time of year. Fake foliage dotted around too all the year round x

Lovely thread! 😍

All the Christmas decorations are put away now, but we leave the fairy lights and candles out until spring is well under way (after clocks go forward). Next week or so, we'll put up the Chinese New Year decorations (I like to leave a small gap so we appreciate the change between festivities).

I feel like I really need a bit of pretty twinklyness to get me through the darkest months.

I'm definitely thinking the same

I love the fairy lights