Even though it's not spring, summer or fall doesn't mean you have to give up gardening. You can enjoy your green thumb by growing things in the winter as well. Gardening in the winter involves enjoying plants indoors - on window sills and near windows. Some plants do go into a sleep during the colder winter months - their blossoms fall off and their leaves turn brown. There are several things you can do to encourage full green foliage and lush blossoms throughout the winter months. All it takes is a bit of practice and patience.

One of the most important things for you to remember is that you don't want to over-water your plants. When plants are in a resting period they need less water to sustain them, even if they look brown and dry. If you over-water your indoor winter plants you'll find the leaves will start to fall off. Winter gardening means that you have to adapt the way that you water your plants.

Release some moisture into your home air if at all possible. This will help both your houseplants and you. Ways to accomplish this are with a humidifier, or boiling a pot of water and letting it simmer on the stovetop. Moist air ensures that your plants won't become too dry.

Some winter plants simply do not last for a long period of time - plants such as Gloxinia, Chrysanthemum, and Cyclamem. If you want plants that will last through the winter focus on other varieties of plants other than these three. When you purchase an indoor plant find out as much information about the plant as you can. Find out the requirements for light and water of the particular plant so that you don't over water the soil or keep it too dry. When you check into the proper conditions for your indoor house plants you greatly increase your chances of enjoying bright flowers lining your window sills during the long, drab winter months.

Bugs sometimes are more of a nuisance to your plants when you are practicing winter gardening. If you find this to be a problem, study the best way to treat each plant before you use chemicals. Also, try to allow as much light in as possible. The days are shorter in winter, so put the plants who love sun in your windows that get the most of it.

If you find that you are having little luck when it comes to winter gardening and producing the blooms that you want you can always resort to a terrarium. A terrarium will be easy to keep with cacti and other plants such as herbs, ferns, orchids, and other plants with green foliage.