I know this may sound backwards, but January is one of my favorite months for gardening. There aren’t many weeds to pull, and the lawn has finally gone to sleep for the season. Most people will look out of their window and see grey skies, rain and general drab. For me, January is a window to reflect on the past gardening year, get inspired for big projects in the yard, or just get organized. Grab a hot cup of cocoa or a glass of wine and join me on this armchair gardening adventure.

December and January are the months when many seed companies will send out their catalogs of products for the following year. Whether you have a sketched-out plan for the garden this coming spring or simply want to try new varieties, then sign up for a few of the catalogs or peruse websites. Some of my favorites are Park Seed, Baker Creek, and Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Each features new varieties of vegetables and cut flowers to add to the garden, along with insightful information on each variety. Do shop with caution; you may be expanding your gardens to fit all the unique varieties they offer.

Another cozy gardening task I like to do during these grey months is to review my garden from the previous year. I will look back at my garden journal and notes to see what varieties of vegetables and cut flowers did well for me and which ones I may shy away from in the following season. I also like to plan out larger garden projects, such as drainage issues, expanding pathways and, of course, adding new garden beds. It is a good time to determine whether any tasks need to be hired out or budgeted for, such as tree trimming, construction or irrigation/electrical work.

Finally, I feed the daydreams. I lose myself in favorite garden design books or scroll Instagram and Pinterest for southern gardeners who have already solved the problems I’m pondering. A clever raised-bed layout. A unique trellis design. A simple gravel path that looks elegant year-round. These quiet hours of inspiration are pure pleasure, but they’re also practical. By the time February teases us with the first warm day, I’ll know exactly what I want to build, where I want to plant, and which interesting new varieties are worth gambling on.

All in all, January may look like the quietest, grayest month on the gardening calendar, but for those of us who love the planning as much as the planting, it’s secretly one of the most important. A handful of cozy afternoons spent sketching, dreaming, ordering seeds and learning from last year’s triumphs and flops can spare you months of headaches (and wasted dollars) once the real rush begins in March. The soil is resting, the weeds are sleeping and the garden exists purely as an opportunity; perfect, limitless, and entirely yours to shape.