I was gazing out the dining room window the day old man winter came calling. There was nothing moving outside that afternoon. The chickens had headed for the coop earlier; the cows stayed close to the barn, and I retreated into the comforts a woodstove, an overstuffed chair and cup of hot chocolate.

The tattered scarecrows, left to weather the storm alone, twisted in the frigid onslaught. The scarecrow that was wearing my old bathrobe and holding a coffee pot in one hand succumbed to the force of the driving wind. Its feed-bag head flopped hard with every icy gust. Its coffee pot blew far into the field of dried cornstalks beyond the garden. For a moment, when the storm was at a fevered pitch, I was sure the other scarecrow, posed in mid-cartwheel all season long, would break loose from its stake and actually cartwheel across the garden. I watched with a heavy heart as the scarecrows, abandoned by beast and man alike, greeted winter head-on.

There’s no getting around it, the growing season is over. Old man winter chased it away. Oh sure, there are still a few hardy souls with hoop huts and cold frames clinging to every degree day they can get, but for most of us the only thing left to do is pick up the tools, undress the scarecrows and put the final layer of mulch on.

It was a challenging year for most growers in the Upper Midwest. The drought, high temperatures and odd weather patterns stressed plants as well as gardeners. But we did it; we persevered and met those challenges. Hurray for us!

As another growing season comes to a close, I start to contemplate the next season. Believe it or not, seed catalogs are already showing up in my mailbox. While some may think it is a little early for buying seed, gardeners know it is never too early to start thinking about next year’s garden. This is true of all gardeners in all eras. Way back in the early nineteenth century, Thomas Cooper, a professor and naturalist said, “A garden is never so good as it will be next year.” Spoken like a true gardener.

This winter I plan to re-read several books. The Merry Hall Trilogy by Mr. Beverly Nichols is at the top of my list. I like his style. His works are riotously funny and high-spirited. His gardening insight and smooth story-telling have been entertaining gardeners for years. Every book of his I have ever read has been worth a re-read.

My indoor projects include growing a couple of Venus fly traps. Supposedly they are easy to grow, but I’ve heard that before about things like roses, hollyhocks and orchids. Easy isn’t how I would describe growing any of them. The fly traps sound interesting. We’ll see how it goes.

I enjoyed hearing from readers and fellow growers this season. Thanks to everyone who shared a story or suggestion with me. You made me laugh and think. Next to gardening, these are my two favorite pastimes.