Let’s face it, when January rolls around in our northern environs, there’s not much gardening to be done, and thus there’s not much for a gardener to be doing. Sure, we can dream of spring and plan for the extravagant gardens and grandiose landscaping projects that are on our horizons. But planning is only so much fun in the confines of our feverish winter cabins, and it doesn’t get much dirt underneath our fingertips.

It’s also a challenge for us to keep plants in our midst in January. Our outdoor plants are buried beneath a few feet of snow or are deep in their midwinter slumber, not to be awakened for a few months to come. All we see is an endless ocean of white and gray throughout our landscapes, save for a few stalwart but bedraggled evergreens here and there. Oh, how we long for greenery, for flowers and foliage and colors and life!

For some gardeners, January is a month for some well-deserved rest from their passion. For others, this is the time for indoor gardening. Some long for the show and vibrancy enough to turn their attention to artificial plants, rich with colors and texture, to liven up their homes. But are artificial plants sacrilege for the true gardener? Can one profess to be a green thumb and yet create winter beauty indoors with prefabricated plants and flowers?

Here’s what a couple of veteran Northscapers have to say on this delicate matter;