By Mary-Jane Pilgrim, Master Gardener

November can be a odd and awkward time for gardeners. The blooms of summer are long gone, and even the hardiest plants are starting to fade. As we temporarily pack up our tools for winter, many of us go through something like the five stages of grief—only with more dirt under our fingernails than we usually have when grieving.

1. Denial
It starts with pretending the frost and snow aren’t really that bad. You convince yourself that a touch of frost won’t actually kill your tomatoes and that they’ll bounce back by noon when they get a bit warmer. Spoiler: They won’t.

2. Anger
Then comes the frustration. Why did you forget to cover the basil? Why didn’t the weather app warn you about that early freeze? You glare at the sky, muttering about how unfair it all is, and plan to move south at the earliest opportunity.

3. Bargaining
You start making deals with nature: “If I bring the pots inside, maybe they’ll survive.” You shuffle plants indoors, rearranging windowsills in a desperate act of hope with space in the south window at a serious premium. You conveniently forget that most plants won’t actually survive inside of our dry as a desert homes—but you’ve gotta try, right?

4. Mulching
Reality sets in, and you finally take action. You clean up the garden beds (leaving flower stalks for our nesting insects, of course), spread mulch, finally finish planting those tulip bulbs, and then tuck everything in for winter. The tools have been oiled and the mushy hosta leaves are in the composter, just in time for the fluffy stuff to start falling. It’s a quiet, grounding ritual—part farewell, part promise to return but mostly it’s acceptance of our fate as Canadians in a four season climate.

5. Hibernation
At last, peace. You sip tea by the window, dream over seed catalogs, and plan next year’s garden. November reminds us that rest is part of the growing cycle too—and even gardeners need a little dormancy.