New Englanders know how to get cozy in the winter.
For us, it’s not uncommon to have extra blankets in the closet or a small fireplace around which to gather. Some embrace the cold by diving into the ocean for a polar bear swim, hitting the slopes, or pulling out the ice skates once the lake freezes. But if barren trees give you the blues, visit a local greenhouse, which, compared with the gray landscape outside, can seem like a lush tropical oasis.
While the summer greenhouse carries perennials, and rows of roses and aisles of annuals displaying colors like cobalt blue, hot pink, deep purple, vibrant reds, and butter yellows, these “hothouses” are just as verdant in the winter.
While not every greenhouse in New Hampshire is year-round, the ones that stay open stay busy. That’s because, like plants in the winter, we’re also constantly seeking light, comfort and warmth. During these dark months, greenhouses can warm and comfort your soul, spruce up a home office or be an instant mood-lifter. They are a respite during the dark, gloomy winter nights. Tending to plants at home can become a relaxing hobby or distract from daily stressors.
“Surrounding yourself in your own home with greenery is nourishing, for the mind and for the soul,” says Quenby Jaus, retail manager and buyer at Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford.
Jaus says visiting greenhouses or plant nurseries during winter can be a destination of sorts.
“Lots of people come to the greenhouse in the winter just to walk around and feel that freshness from all the plants growing. If it’s a nice sunny day and it’s cold outside, it’s just really beautiful in there, and warm and peaceful,” says the Somersworth resident.
Heartwarming hygge
Finding comfort during long, frigid winters is called “hygge” (usually pronounced “hoo-guh”), and part of Scandinavian culture. There, people cope with the short days by surrounding themselves with candles, gathering with friends, or just finding time to enjoy life. Hygge can be anything you take solace in; a way to slow down and be calm.
Choose from thousands of different kinds of houseplants at Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford.
But how do plants fit into hygge?
Making a terrarium — a group of small plants housed inside a clear glass container — could be considered hygge, because when it’s finished, you’ll have a little plant oasis or “mini greenhouse” that can help brighten your day in a “hygge” sort of way.
Here’s how to make a terrarium
Terrariums are low maintenance and are easy to assemble. Closed terrariums create their own mini ecosystem, meaning there’s less worry about whether they’ll grow. The ingredients are simple. Gather a clear glass container, soil, sand, rocks or gravel, moss and, most importantly, plants. Glass containers can be opened or closed, but do need some natural light.
“Make sure you have a nice clear glass container so that the sun can get through,” adds Jaus.
Create a green winter wonderland at home using live plants, stones, trinkets and your own creativity.
Make a “water reservoir” via a drainage layer at the bottom with layers of gravel, soil and moss. Add a couple inches of gravel to the bottom. Then place a bit of moss to cover the gravel, and then add a healthy amount of soil on top that’s damp but not wet. Remove plants from pots and gently move or “tease apart” the roots a bit to prepare them for their new home.
Leave room for plants to grow and keep them away from the sides of the container.
“It does constrict their growth being in there, but over time, if you don’t want it to be a wild look, you’d have to prune them a little bit,” says Jaus.
Decorative soil cover options include moss, fir bark, gravel, stone or sand. To further personalize your new creation, add little toys, gems or other knickknacks.
What’s your plant personality?
Slow-growing plants that prefer an enclosed, humid environment work best. These can also be plants that work well together. For example, your terrarium can contain just succulents, which store water in their leaves. Succulents include echeveria, haworthia,
sedum, jade plant or curio rowleyanus, aka “string of pearls.”
Non-succulent plants include maidenhair, bird’s nest or button ferns, dwarf palms, carnivorous plants like Venus flytraps, pitcher plants and tillandsia. Tillandsia, an “air plant,” doesn’t need soil, just spritzes or occasional dunks in a bowl of water.
Or mix it up — place ferns with African violets or peperomia, with its succulent-like qualities. Almost any slow-growing plant could work. Find a couple you admire.
Pilea cadierei, or “aluminum plant,” enjoys humid environments and medium light. Polka-dot plants have pink, red or silver spots on its leaves; creeping or climbing fig has tiny heart-shaped leaves; while the leaves of the friendship plant are highly textured. Prayer plants have “folding” leaves.
Minimal upkeep, minimal stress
Jaus says you can determine when to water your terrarium just by viewing the soil’s color through the glass.
These round, open, glass hanging terrariums are suitable for tillandsia, also known as “air plants.”
“Once it’s watered in, it has a nice, rich dark color. As it’s drying, you’ll see it start to lighten at the top down, so when it’s halfway, you know, two colors, is a good time to water,” says Jaus.
Terrariums can be hung from a ceiling or wall, or placed in a sunny location. There’s really not much need for maintenance — just admire and escape!
If you do need help, Wentworth hosts workshops on terrarium-building, and they have handouts at the store.
Plant newbies: Start small
In general, you don’t need a green thumb to grow a plant. Just follow some basic rules.
Pothos are inexpensive, houseplants that prefer low light, are easy to grow and are almost unkillable.
“Pothos and philodendrons are super easy. They’re great beginner plants. They’re kind of versatile with their light levels in the home. And they’re really pretty,” says Jaus.
Sansevieria, better known as “snake plant” or “mother in law’s tongue,” is another safe bet.
“They’re pretty adaptable as well for light levels, and really low maintenance with their water needs. They’re pretty easygoing,” Jaus says.
If you don’t live near a greenhouse, any Agway or retail store that sells plants will do.
If it’s tough to remember to water your plants, try drought-tolerant succulents or cactus, which conserve water through tiny pores on its surface. You just need a bright window and occasional watering for that.
Follow the sun
Maybe for you, “hygge” can be watching the snow fall, putting on comfy socks, reading a book or just daydreaming. For me, hygge is the promise that soon, the longer and warmer days will return.
When at home, Jaus prefers to stay cozy with a comfy blanket and maybe a candle, or a good book and some favorite music. And working with plants as a day job is a plus.
“I definitely love that I get to work in the greenhouse during the winter. That sunshine feels really nice. And I love being around the plants,” says Jaus.
Terrarium Do’s and Don’ts
DO choose a clean, clear glass container.
DON’T use chemicals to clean the inside of your glass container — use plain water or a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar.
DO add gravel along the bottom of your container, cover with moss, then add soil. Moss adds color and improves drainage.
Don’t use fertilizer; plants make their own
as they grow!
DO check plants for bugs before planting, choosing sterile soil from a bag.
DON’T let plants touch the sides of the terrarium.
DO choose an open-top container for succulents.
DO water and open terrariums about once
a week, and trim on occasion.
DON’T over water; closed-top terrariums will create its own ecosystem that you often won’t have to water!
DO check for soil color — if it looks rich and dark, it’s watered; if it’s light, then give the soil a drink.
Do enjoy your new mini sanctuary!
Find It: Greenhouses
These greenhouses may inspire creativity, or at least help you get to know your green side!
Wentworth Greenhouses
141 Rollins Road, Rollinsford
603-743-4919
64 Breakfast Hill Road, Greenland
603-436-2732
220 Mechanic St., Lebanon
603-448-6110
Cavarretta Gardens
707 First NH Turnpike (Route 4), Northwood
House by the Side of the Road
370 Gibbons Highway, Wilton
603-654-9888
Shady Hill Greenhouses & Nursery
1 Adams Road, Londonderry
603-434-2063
Newton Greenhouse
32 Amesbury Road, Newton
603-382-5289
elroyt@newtongreenhouse.com
Black Forest Nursery
209 King St., Boscawen
603-796-2756
Spider Web Gardens
252 Middle Road, Center Tuftonboro
Note winter hours: January and February,
open Saturdays only, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
603-569-5056