10 ways to combat SPRING FEVER

Here at Petals we LIVE for Spring. So much so that spring fever starts about January 1st. By actual Spring, we are down-right bonkers. It doesn't help that here in Boulder, Colorado March is our snowiest month. As a result, we have to get creative in how we manage our mental health and access to spring feels until mid-May when it actually starts to feel like spring .

We've taken our extensive experience with Spring Fever and compiled our top 10 ways to combat spring fever. We hope some or all of our suggestions help you to survive the ever daunting days of later winter when it feels like warm weather and blooming flowers might NEVER actually arrive. They will, just never soon enough.

1. Visit a greenhouse: Whether it's at botanic gardens or a garden center, make sure it's heated, filled with greenery, and humid. I often visit the tropical greenhouse at the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Butterfly Pavilion—both feel like Costa Rica.

2. Read a garden book, blog, or magazine: Every January, I revisit my collection of garden books, dreaming of Spring. I recommend anything by Monty Don and currently love Small Garden Style. My garden friends and I exchange books and library finds for inspiration when it's too cold to go outside.

3. Buy Yourself Flowers: I suggest an arrangement for your kitchen table and a petite one for your nightstand. This way you can wake up and go to bed with flowers as well as enjoy them every time you have a meal. Bet you know who to call for help with this one...(hint: me, call me.)

4. Plan and start seeds indoors: Begin seed starting on February 15th. Essential tools include a heat mat, humidity dome, and grow light. You don't need extensive equipment, but a $15 heat mat, a $50 grow light, and an $18 seed starting tray with humidity dome are ideal. This setup, costing under $100, can yield at least 24 plants, averaging $4 per plant.

5. Buy a new house plant: or twelve...As a houseplant addict I will fully support you in buying ALL the houseplants. But even one little succulent can be enough to tide you over, but seriously, twelve would be way cooler. Looking for something really cool? Hit me up, I have ALL the plants and if I don't have what you are looking for, I will find it, and buy one for myself.

6. Watch a garden show: I seriously wish I could tell you about the most amazing gardening show available to everyone, everywhere but...there really aren't enough good options. Gardener's World staring Monty Don (or any of his garden documentaries are absolutely the best, but being British they can be hard to stream).

7. Burn a garden scented candle: Okay, okay, its hard to come up with ten ways to combat spring fever but desperate times call for desperate measures and well...sometimes a peony or fresh grass scented candle is the best anyone can do. We do offer candles by Petals that are dreamy but..so do lots of places.

8. Fly to a warmer destination like Costa Rica or Mexico: If that's not an option, create a tropical atmosphere at home. One February, I filled our bathroom with orchids from Trader Joe's and steamed it up to mimic a tropical environment. Do whatever it takes.

9. Read the Secret Garden: I seriously re-read this book every February/March. The author captures the feeling of malaise turned to joy as long winter days bloom into spring and anything becomes possible. There are a handful of movies out there too but I don't endorse any of them. The book is just so good, and I only discovered it as an adult.

10. Book a Botanical Workshop: We offer workshops on various plant and flower topics, and you can book online! Bring friends and enjoy our flower-filled studio. Terrarium building is a favorite, but if you can't make it to Boulder, Colorado, you can create a DIY terrarium with a suitable glass container. A blog post on this will be available soon.

By number six, I worried about reaching ten, but then I recalled more ways to combat spring fever. While some advocate embracing the cold with activities like skiing, I recommend denial and surrounding yourself with plants and flowers to get through winter.