Most of us are coming out of a record-setting cold snap, which brought arctic temperatures to large swaths of the US and Canada. With the frost still thawing in many places—or not thawing at all for some of us!—it may be difficult to think about the coming spring. However, spring is closer than we think and the new year starts next week, so let’s take some time and talk about gardening predictions and projections for 2023. These will be general trends for North America as a whole, but we’ll be giving more detailed regional advice in our monthly newsletter, which you can sign up for here! Just scroll to the bottom of the page, and enter your email on the right for monthly garden tips, sales, specials, and more!
Let’s start with a general weather prediction for spring 2023: while cold weather will continue to come and go for much of the country through January, February should see things warm up at least a bit for most of us. This doesn’t mean that you can start putting out your spring plants, but it’s a nice break from the record setting cold we’ve been dealing with. March by contrast will both come in and go out like a lion, with a wide variety of weather conditions across much of the country. The Southeast will see its normal variable, unpredictable spring weather, while the Northeast will see a mix of rain and freezing temps. The Great Lakes region and the prairies will see colder-than-normal temperatures, albeit not as cold as it has been. However, across the nation the promise of spring will at least partially reveal itself, and that’s something for which we can all be grateful.
While warm weather will return, it may bring with it another concern for gardeners and farmers across the nation: rain, or a lack thereof. With much of the nation still reeling from a multi-year drought, precipitation may again become an issue in 2023. For home gardeners, this may mean that we have to adapt our landscaping projects, watering plans, and irrigation techniques to adapt to challenging conditions. Fortunately, there are some things that gardeners across North American can do to keep their gardens as healthy as possible in hot or dry conditions. Rain barrels, in-ground irrigation, heavy mulching, and planting drought-resistant varietals of annual plants and veggies can help a great deal. We’ll be offering more Gardzen-style advice and guidance in this blog as the year rolls on, so stay tuned—we’ll be here for you.
Along with drought, another possible challenge facing gardeners in 2023 is a rise in food prices. While this is potentially is problem for all of us, it can also increase demand for seeds and vegetable-bearing plants. With that in mind, now’s the time to order or buy your seeds and make sure you have what you need for spring, summer, and fall 2023 before the rush starts.
We realize that thus far this blog has delivered some less-than-happy news, but there are plenty of good things on the horizon too. There’s a renewed interest in community gardens and community garden groups nationwide, so joining one and connecting with local folks who are interested in gardening. This gives you some support and companionship in the garden, allowing you to share seeds, cuttings, advice, and more with other gardeners near you. You can make new friends and help spread the joy of gardening to your community, and that’s what we’re all about here at Gardzen!
Further good news: the availability of landscaping shrubs and trees is going to stabilize and expand during 2023! The last few years have seen a shortage of those plants due to supply chain issues and increased demand, but things seem to have settled down a bit and 2023 should side great availability and more variety in garden stores across the nation. Combine this with greater community support for gardening and we all have the opportunity to expand and improve both our home landscaping and the community spaces around us.
So, in conclusion, 2023 will bring some challenges but also some wonderful opportunities for gardeners across the US and Canada. We’ll have some changing circumstances which will require us to adapt, but we’ll also have the chance to improve and expand both our gardens and our communities. Get your supplies and plans together now so you’ll be ready for the gardening season to come, and stay flexible in your approach and we’ll all have the best season possible.
This is our last blog of the year for 2022, but we’ll be back in 2023 with more garden advice, detailed plans and projects, and more. We’ve enjoyed taking this journey with you over the past year, and we’re looking forward to many more garden adventures to come. From all of us at Gardzen to all of you out there: Happy New Year!
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