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I’ve always been someone who loves change. Maybe that’s why I look forward to the shift in seasons, not just for the weather, but for the little rituals that come with them. These days, I don’t just mark the seasons by the calendar, I feel them through my hobbies.

Over the years, I’ve cultivated a kind of seasonal rhythm. I don’t just do hobbies, I rotate them. Each season ushers in a fresh wave of joy, creativity, and purpose. From indoor seed starting in spring to slow, cozy candle making in the dead of winter, these hobbies anchor me. They create continuity, but also give me something to look forward to.

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Let me walk you through the seasons, the hobbies that define them for me, and maybe, just maybe, inspire you to find or deepen your own seasonal rhythm.

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Spring: Planting Hope (and Seeds)

When March rolls around, something inside me stirs. It’s not just daylight creeping a little later into the evening, it’s the pull toward beginning again. For me, spring means seeds.

Indoor Seed Starting

I have a table in front of a south-facing window that transforms into a mini greenhouse each March. Tomatoes, basil, marigolds, zinnias, all tucked into soil waiting for their chance to grow.

There’s something beautifully hopeful about planting seeds indoors when there’s still snow on the ground. I use heat mats and grow lights, little tools of optimism. I watch the green shoots push through and feel like I’m part of something ancient and wise.

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What you’ll need to get started:

• Seed trays or small pots
• Quality potting mix
• Grow light (optional, but helpful)
• A windowsill or designated table space
• Patience (the hardest part)

For more seed starting tips check out out post: Seed Starting Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner: Lessons from My Own Garden

Seasonal Cooking

Spring also marks the return of tender greens and crisp veggies. I swap heavy stews for lighter meals, like lemony asparagus risotto or strawberry spinach salads.

I remember the first time I cooked with ramps and fiddlehead ferns, those ephemeral treasures you only find for a couple weeks a year. It felt like I was finally coming out of hibernation.

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Summer: Living in the Garden

Ah, summer. The season of long days, dirty fingernails, and basketfuls of homegrown joy.

Gardening

There’s nothing like stepping outside and harvesting your dinner. Cherry tomatoes still warm from the sun, crisp cucumbers, fresh arugula, it’s magical. I spend evenings watering the garden with a glass of wine in hand, pulling weeds and talking to the plants.

Summer is when the garden becomes part of daily life. It’s work, yes, but it’s joyful work. Meditative. Healing. If I’m ever in a bad mood, a walk in the garden and pulling a few weeds in bare feet almost always fixes it.

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Some of my favorite summer gardening rituals:

• Deadheading flowers in the early morning with coffee in hand
• Hand-picking tomatoes and roasting them for sauce
• Giving away extra zucchini to unsuspecting neighbors (they’ve learned to run)
• Bringing inside cut flowers for fresh arrangements weekly

Outdoor Meals & Creative Time

Summer hobbies don’t always have to be work. Sometimes it’s painting watercolor scenes on the patio, or making herbal teas from lemon balm and mint straight from the garden. Make your own herbal tea with a mini tea garden kit.

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Fall: Harvesting and Preserving

As the light shifts and the air cools, I feel this pull toward nesting. Fall is when I start slowing down, but also when I become a bit of a squirrel, storing things for winter.

Canning and Preserving

If you’ve never heard that pop sound from a cooling mason jar, let me tell you, it’s deeply satisfying. I can tomatoes, make jam, and dry herbs for winter. Some of my friends think it’s “extra,” but I see it as a way to hold onto the best parts of summer just a little longer.

I keep a binder full of hand-written recipes passed down from my grandmother. Every September, I make her peach preserves using fruit from the farmer’s market. It’s sticky, slow, and delicious.

Canning and preserving ideas for beginners:

• Tomato basil sauce
• Strawberry jam
• Pickled red onions
• Dried rosemary and thyme bundles
• Applesauce with cinnamon and nutmeg

Get started with an easy canning kit with all the tools you need.

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Autumn Crafts

This is also when I dive back into creative hobbies like:

• Making autumn wreaths with dried hydrangeas and grasses
• Pressing leaves in books
• Sketching fall foliage in my journal

There’s a cozy slowness to fall that makes me want to make again, but differently than summer’s buzz. It’s more introspective.

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Winter: Creating Warmth

Winter is the season of turning inward. When the garden sleeps, I find comfort in old-world crafts.

Candle Making

There’s something deeply satisfying about pouring hot wax into little jars and waiting for it to cool. I make beeswax candles infused with lavender or eucalyptus, and give them as gifts around the holidays.

I learned candle making one snowy January when I was craving both light and purpose. The repetitive nature of it, the soft scent filling the kitchen, it soothed my winter blues.

Easily get started with a simple candle making kit with all the supplies you need.

Or gather your own Supplies for candle making:

• Beeswax or soy wax
• Wicks and wick holders
• Essential oils
• Glass jars or tins
• A double boiler or heat-safe pitcher

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Knitting and Embroidery

I taught myself to knit during a particularly cold winter. Scarves were my gateway, but now I’m deep into socks and chunky throw blankets. It’s meditative. Calming. A way to use my hands when the world feels still. Start with a beginner knitting kit and as you learn new stitches youtube will be your bff.

Embroidery is a newer hobby for me, quiet and slow. Stitching a floral pattern on linen while the snow falls outside? Pure contentment. Try out this floral embroidery kit to get started.

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Why Seasonal Hobbies Matter

So why go through the effort of rotating hobbies with the seasons? Why not just stick to one thing year-round?

Because each season brings different needs. Different energy. Different gifts.

In spring, I crave growth. In summer, I need connection with the earth. In fall, I feel the urge to preserve. In winter, I long for light, warmth, and stillness.

Hobbies help me:

• Stay grounded– they keep me present in the season I’m in
• Connect with nature– even when I’m indoors
• Find purpose and joy– even in small, quiet moments
• Express creativity– in sync with the world around me

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Finding Your Own Rhythm

Maybe gardening isn’t your thing. That’s okay! The beauty of seasonal hobbies is that they’re personal. The key is to listen, to yourself and to nature.

Ask yourself:

• What do I feel drawn to in this season?
• What have I always wanted to try?
• What did I love doing as a child when the seasons changed?

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Spring

• Try watercolor painting outdoors
• Bake with seasonal produce like rhubarb or strawberries
• Visit local flower markets and build bouquets

Summer

• Join a community garden
• Take up photography, capture sunrise hikes or flower close-ups
• Make infused vinegars or herbal simple syrups

Fall

• Try canning excess vegetables from your garden
• Press leaves and make bookmarks
• Host a soup swap with friends using garden or farmers market finds

Winter

• Sign up for a pottery class
• Start a gratitude journal: Check out our article: 10 Best Gratitude Journals to Cultivate a Daily Mindset of Positivity
• Take up knitting or embroidery
• Learn to bake bread from scratch

With every season, I become a version of myself that’s more in tune, more curious, more content. There’s a quiet magic in shifting your pace and focus throughout the year. These hobbies aren’t just activities. They’re invitations, to slow down, to look closely, to live more fully.

So whether you’re planting seeds, drying herbs, stirring jam, or stitching wool, know this: You’re not just passing time, you’re participating in the rhythm of life.

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Have a favorite seasonal hobby? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Let’s swap stories, tips, and maybe even recipes.

If you loved this post check out other related posts:

5 Slow Morning Hobbies to Start Your Day with Intention

10 Simple Living Hobbies That Quiet the Mind and Nourish the Soul

6 Calming Hobbies: How to Soothe Your Mind and Bring Joy to Your Everyday Life Today

With love,

Bri & Cat

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