{"id":1326,"date":"2026-01-08T17:27:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T01:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centralgorgemga.org\/?p=1326"},"modified":"2026-01-08T17:29:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T01:29:08","slug":"winter-gardening-in-the-columbia-river-gorge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centralgorgemga.org\/?p=1326","title":{"rendered":"Winter gardening in the Columbia River Gorge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Sarah Smeby, OSU Hood River County Extension Central Gorge Master Gardener Volunteer <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Nick Fewings<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many gardeners button up their vegetable gardens in the fall, and turn their attention to some other activity until those warmer months arrive with the promise of another season! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be someone who exhales in relief as their garden is put to bed, ready for the break from weeding, mulching, fertilizing and harvesting. But if you\u2019re not – read on – this article is for you! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admittedly, I take no small pleasure in bringing my famous kale salad to dinner parties in colder months and announcing the greens came from my garden. Or creating a carrot cake in the dead of winter by first pulling the root veggies from the cold soil of my own back yard. Roasted beets taste even sweeter after they\u2019ve felt a few frosts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, gardening in winter comes with some restrictions – there aren\u2019t going to be fresh tomatoes, so keep your expectations in check! But you may be surprised by what you can coax out of our limited sunshine and cooler temps! Some winter hardy options are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n