Earlier this week listening to all of the blizzard warnings on my cell phone, I started really longing for spring so I could get outside and work in the garden.

Let me explain. My son and his fiancé got me a really cool wireless outdoor speaker that connects to my music on my iPad. I can use it when I am outside in the garden. It’s weatherproof and since it is wireless, my iPad won’t be outside in the elements.

I love to listen to music and garden, so this is perfect. In addition, the first two seed catalogues have arrived, and I can’t wait to dig into them while relaxing by the fire, even if there is a blizzard outside.

I also love the snow and enjoy this type of weather — briefly. A storm is good, but ongoing cold is not. If it’s going to be cold, let there be snow.

Snow is a great insulator for plants. There are a few of my newly planted perennials that I didn’t get around to mulching, so I am really glad to have this. If only the conditions would stay nice and clean and off the roads until the weather warms up!

The downside to snow on plants is its weight. The snow this past week was pretty heavy and therefore might have caused some damage to evergreens. If you have plants that are crushed and bent over by the weight of the snow, then go out when you can and knock off some of the snow, to prevent major damage.

The other downside to a snow cover around our plants is that it also protects any overwinter insects. I have gone outside this time of year and uncovered snow around some of my plants and found slugs snuggled up nice and cozy.

The wind is not good to the plants, especially when coupled with snow. We have experienced enough wind damage these past few years to see the results on our landscapes.

As I said, I love scanning the seed catalogues this time of the year, but my eyes are always bigger than my ability to maintain the garden. All of the vegetables and flowers are so inviting that I have a tendency to over-order. And of course, if you order the seeds, you have to plant them, right?

I have learned over the years, though, to scale back my garden to a degree. I have cut out those plants that I really struggle growing (carrots because of my heavy clay soil, corn because of the critters) and cut back on those plants that we simply don’t eat.

I have narrowed my varieties down to those things that I can freeze or can and that we really love during the winter (tomatoes, peppers and onions for salsa, beets for pickled eggs and beets, and edamame).

Eating the fruits of your summer labors is really enjoyable. Meanwhile, I am going to go get me a jar of salsa and some chips and my seed catalogues and build me a fire.