Winter is a time of the year of slowing down, contemplating the winter structure of the garden, remembering all of last season with its’ ups and downs. But if you think the garden is “dead” during winter time, it has just fooled you. Take some time to look closer, be still, watch the life there is. And be prepared with your camera/cell phone.

Structures. I usually let many of my withered plants stand in the autumn, not cutting them down for the winter. When frost and snow comes, I have wonderful structures breaking the monotony of the sleeping garden.

Birds. Winder feeding of the garden birds is quite a joy. If you put some time on good feeding places, protection for the small birds and of course good bird food (I use organic seeds from a professional producer, http://www.slattergubben.se, I can reallly recommend him, also for his fantastic instructive videos) you will have spectacular bird watching all winter. Many different birds visit my feeding places, last week I even caught a Sparrow Hawk with my binoculars landing in our cherry tree close to the house.

Mystical visits. Don´t forget to make a tour round the garden now and then, even in winter. You will soon be aware of small changes. Footprints in the snow … A bucket turned over … A hole in a garden bed. Often these mystical visits come by night. But if you are lucky, it is even possible to catch some of the biggest animals. Look at this photo, where a small family of mouses trotted right over our garden.