Garden visit: Snowflakes and garden joy at Anniken's in Holmestrand

"The snow gives the garden its own stillness and calm. It's as if it's covered in a dusting of powdered sugar. This time of year provides a welcome break for a bursting creative mind that, for the rest of the year, is overflowing with garden ideas and long 'to do' lists," says Anniken. She loves working in the garden, but is just as fond of the pause that winter brings.

"When the frost has set in, I can't do anything more, and that's a little okay too. The rest of my projects will have to wait until next year. Fortunately, there's always a new season coming."

Anniken thinks it's beautiful when the plants in the garden are covered in frost.

"Perennials, shrubs, and dried flowers become sculptural works of art with a dusting of snow," she says. The family uses the garden all year round."

Winter in the garden is beautiful. Nature creates the most beautiful sculptures all on its own.

"My boys love to sled down the slope towards the greenhouse, so we always have to protect the glass with soft cushions. We also sometimes create ski trails around the garden. And building a snowman is always fun when the snow is just right," she says. After some frolicking in the snow, it's nice to gather around the fire pit with some snacks, sausages on skewers, and hot cocoa."

Time for outdoor coziness! What's better than hot cocoa after a day of sledding or skiing on the snow-covered lawn?

It doesn't take much to jazz up a hot chocolate. Look how fun it gets with some marshmallows and a couple of pretzel sticks!

"I'm in the greenhouse all year round. It's a nice place even in winter. In recent years, I've cleared it of overwintering plants to have more space for myself. The string lights on the ceiling create a magical atmosphere through the ice roses on the windows," she says.

In the flower boxes that are full of tomato plants in the summer, there are now lots of expectant tulip bulbs lying dormant under the soil. They bloom extra early in here because of the warmth, often as early as March. As soon as the spring sun begins to warm, Anniken plans to sit out here with a wool sweater and blanket and use it as a home office. She works as a garden designer, so there's no more inspiring place to draw and plan gardens.

Indoor sowing, also known as pre-cultivation, is already well underway.

"The small sprouts give hope and remind me that the sun has turned and that we are heading towards spring and a new gardening year. It's always fun to start anew. What I didn't succeed in sowing last year, I'll give another chance this year," she says.

Even though it's snowing outside, it's sprouting inside. It gives hope that spring is on its way.

Several types of chili are already well underway. She has also sown paprika plants, which she is very excited about. The sown seeds for the summer flower Verbena bonariensis are outdoors in the cold in plastic boxes to get the cold period they need before being brought back in to germinate.

"Many of the plants I've sown indoors will move out into the greenhouse as soon as the danger of frost nights is over, much to the family's relief. By then, it's started to feel like a proper jungle inside," she laughs.

The lemon tree, which has overwintered inside the living room, gets a lot of care and love and thanks for the attention with lots of fruit, small bright yellow suns that remind of the spring sun.

The lemon tree that has overwintered inside the living room is full of fruit now in February. As soon as it's frost-free, it moves out to the greenhouse for a long summer vacation.

- It also gets to move out into the greenhouse in May and enjoy the warmth out there on a long summer vacation until autumn arrives.

Follow the Mediterranean garden through the seasons:

• Garden visit: A taste of the Mediterranean at Anniken's | Plantasjen

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• Mediterranean garden – relaxing, warm and fragrant

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