out of season

Even though there was a dusting of snow on the ground and most of the plants had quietly agreed to lay low until springtime, there was still work that could be done to prepare the land for the next season. Parts of the thicket were so dense they kept most of the snow off of the soil; Theory was working diligently beneath the twisted branches of one such spot, clearing out the fine snow and scratching until there was fresh earth. She'd brought some strips of heavy peat moss that she'd managed to score and dig up from nearby the mangroves some ways away down the coast. With any luck, this place could be a fertile garden by the time spring rolled around. Herbs would have to wait to be planted, of course, but if she could find some hardy varieties, perhaps they'd have a year-round garden.