What to Plan for Your Garden in December (Without Overthinking It)

Plan your summer garden this winter without overthinking it. Easy, simple garden planning tips to reduce spring stress and grow what you love.

It’s the middle of December and I’m starting to plan next year’s garden.

Is that crazy? I don’t think so. In fact, December might even be the best time to plan.

Right now, the garden is bare, quiet, and resting—exactly how it’s supposed to be—and it also creates the perfect conditions for planning and dreaming. The empty beds make it easier to see the space and decide what to add, reorganize, or remove.

Last year’s garden is also still fresh on my mind. I can remember what we actually ended up eating, what felt like too much work, and what I liked and didn’t like growing. Seed catalogs are stacked up next to my chair with seeds fully stocked, and I’ve got the time to browse without the pressure of seed starting.

And finally, looking at plants (even if they’re just pictures) is exactly the thing I need to lower stress and top up my serotonin levels in winter. Find more things you can do in winter to enjoy the season and embrace the slowness in this post.

So, if you’re staring out the window missing your summer garden, here are a few simple, low-stress things you can do right now to get a head start on spring garden planning without overthinking it.

6 Garden Planning Quick Wins to Do in Winter

Whether you grow vegetables, flowers, or both, this approach is just what you need right now.

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1. Make a List of Your Favorite Crops

I just did this last week with my family nearby. I ask everyone what their favorite vegetables and flowers were and write their responses alongside my own.

Although this list is put together so casually, it’s crucial to next year’s garden. This list is the foundation for everything we grow.

I always prioritize crops that performed well, were productive, and were enjoyable to harvest and use. There’s nothing wrong with growing tried-and-true favorites every year. It prevents decision fatigue and keeps you from reinventing the wheel each spring.

So grab a notebook or open up your Notes app and write the names of all the crops you loved growing last season.

Include the names of specific varieties that stood out.

Resist the urge to open a spreadsheet or do a deep dive into last season’s yields. If it’s memorable now, then it was definitely a favorite!

Here are a few prompts to help jog your memory:

• What did I enjoy harvesting the most?
• Which plants was I most excited to check on every day?
• What made me feel like I was winning at gardening?
• Which crops were the most reliable?

And here are a few of my own favorites. Easy Cut Flowers for Beginners and Delicious Vegetable Varieties for Kids’ Gardens.

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2. Note Things You Want to Do Differently

As you’re thinking about your garden favorites, it’s natural to remember a few things that didn’t go as planned.

Maybe a new variety didn’t perform as well as you hoped, something was planted too late, or a section of the garden was just difficult to maintain.

Instead of trying to fix everything, choose just two or three things to do differently next year. It helps to look through photos of the previous season’s garden if you have them handy.

And it’s OK if you don’t know exactly how you’ll solve your problems, just make note of things you want to change.

For example, my list for 2026 includes:

1. Succession plant cilantro and sunflowers
2. Plant pole beans earlier
3. Expand the side garden for annual flowers and winter squash
4. Add more raspberries
5. Move asparagus from Bed 2 to Bed 3

Yeah, I know, that’s technically five things. But the final two are long-term changes that won’t add ongoing work. Once they’re done, they’re done.

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3. Set a Goal for Your Garden

Next, set an overarching goal, or intention, for the next season. This goal will be the lens you plan your garden through.

So ask yourself: What’s the number one thing I want from my garden this year?

A few examples include:

• A garden that’s easier to care for
• More consistent harvests throughout the season and fewer gluts
• Growing my favorites exceptionally well
• More peachy-toned flowers for bouquets

Write this goal at the tippy-top of your page.

Keeping it front and center will help you decide how much to plant, where to focus your energy, and what to say no to.

It’s just as important to know what to say no to as much as what you’ll say yes to.

Looking to scale down on garden work? Find my tips for planting a low-maintenance vegetable garden.

My own goal for next year’s garden is simply to spend more time enjoying my garden. Last season I felt burnt out by the end. A big reason was that I spent the majority of my garden time working. Not just weeding or planting, but also trying to keep up with content creation.

Next year, I want to focus on puttering around my garden and just watching things grow.

4. Decide What You Want to Grow the Most of

Go back to your list of favorites and ask yourself: What did we actually use every week? Was anything running out too quickly?

What did you wish you’d planted more of?

Star those favorites. These will get priority as you finalize your plan and start seeds.

To keep things realistic, I’ve started writing S, M, L, or XL next to each variety name (for Small, Medium, etc.). This helps me remember that I can’t grow an extra-large amount of everything. It keeps my expectations aligned with the actual size of my garden and the harvest I hope to get. Feel free to do something similar if you’d like.

By the way, one of the easiest ways to avoid feast-or-famine harvest cycles is by succession planting. Here’s my post on succession planting after the spring harvest.

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5. Pick a Few New Crops to Try (or Try Again)

Once you’ve solidified your must-grow plants, pick one or two new crops to experiment with.

That might include:

• A new variety of a favorite (like a different cherry tomato)
• Retrying something that didn’t work previously (snapdragons, for me)
• One intriguing plant you’re curious about (I’m trying rat tail statice next year)

Leaving space for experimentation keeps gardening fun. I love growing things I can’t easily find at the store.

The key is balance. Pair new things with reliable favorites so your garden doesn’t become overwhelming, or disappointing.

If you enjoy experimenting, you might want to try companion planting flowers in your vegetable garden.

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6. Inventory Your Seeds

Finally, pull out your seed box and take a quick inventory.

Circle the items on your must-grow list that you’ll need to get new seeds for. Don’t worry about getting exact seed counts right now. Almost gone versus plenty left is enough.

This one step will save you money, reduce clutter, and helps seed starting go much more smoothly in the spring.

And That’s Your Winter Garden Plan

By now you should have a clear idea of what you want your next garden season to look like. You’ll have a full page of plants to grow, seeds to buy, and things to accomplish in your garden.

That’s a great beginning.

You don’t need to have a perfectly mapped garden or spreadsheet of plants right now. You just need to take a step in the right direction, and you’ve taken one.

This single page of notes will help you stay on track and be organized for spring.

Keep your winter garden plan with your garden journal or tucked into your favorite seed catalog.

Then when you revisit your list, you’ll be ready to flesh out your full garden plan and be ready to go for spring.

Winter garden planning isn’t about getting ahead or doing more. It’s about caring for your future self and for your future garden, which is resting outside your window right now. You don’t need to have it all figured out, but taking a moment to honestly reflect on the previous year will help you so much for next year.

I hope these steps help you plan and grow an even better garden next year.

Cozy Up and Read

Want more inspiration for your winter garden and homestead? Check out these posts next.

• 10 Cozy Homesteading Skills to Level Up This Winter
• Make a Natural Winter Planter with Foraged Evergreens
• Unique Seed Starting Pots and Tips for Different Budgets
• How to Propagate Rosemary
• 30 Simple Ways to Enjoy Winter More (Without Buying Anything)