December

Festive Fun in the Garden

There are plenty of jobs to do in December to get you out of the house on a nice crisp winter’s day. When the weather is not so good you can brighten up the house & garden for Christmas or plan ahead for next year’s displays.

• There are lots of small evergreens available in the garden centre to create a bit of winter colour in a tub near the door. When it comes a bit nearer to Christmas you could also add some baubles for a more festive feel.
• Brighten up your living room with some indoor flowering plants; an amaryllis provides a stunning display – see our article if you are unsure how to look after one.
• Brighten up your garden nearer Christmas with some outdoor lights. String them through trees or hedges for a great Christmassy atmosphere.
• If your garden is looking a bit bare try adding some evergreens for added structure & textural interest. Their attractive foliage comes into its own now and will provide greenery for your indoor Christmas displays.

Planting & Sowing

• Sow alpine seeds now as they like a period of cold to start germination.
• Sow Pelargonium seeds so that they are well established before the spring.
• If the soil is not too cold & wet there are a number of shrubs that can be planted now. Plant winter-flowering Clematis cirrhosa & fragrant winter shrubs like Daphne bholua or plant shrubs for winter colour such as Cornus.
• Get organised & get your orders in from specialised growers supplying plants that crop early such as cauliflowers, cabbages & lettuces.

Pruning

If you didn't get your pruning done last month it can still be done now.

• Prune Acers and birches before Christmas to avoid the 'bleeding' that would occur if pruned in spring.
• Prune back the longer growth on roses to reduce the damage from wind rock. Also make sure you prune or tie in long growth on climbers.
• Prune deciduous trees and shrubs, but leave Magnolias until summer and Prunus species until they are in leaf.
• Coppice trees and shrubs such as hazel. You can use the whippy stems to produce wreaths or the base for garlands.
• Winter pruning of fruit trees and bushes can also be carried out this month. This will often involve spur pruning of apples and pears to let in more light and don’t forget to prune out any damage from apple canker which causes cracks and lesions. Bush fruit can also be pruned at the same time, for example blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries. Also prune ornamental and edible grape vines before Christmas to prevent excessive sap loss.

Maintenance

• Keep putting food and water out for the birds. Check your feeders more frequently, especially if there has been very bad weather. See our article on feeding the birds.
• When tidying the garden keep wildlife in mind. A pile of leaves or logs will provide a valuable over wintering habitat for lots of small creatures.
• Whilst repotting line pots with bubble wrap for winter protection and cover the surface of pots with decorative grit. Raise containers onto pot feet to prevent waterlogging. If you have terracotta containers in your garden move them into the garage or store room to help prevent them from cracking in the freezing temperatures.
• Insulate garden taps and any exposed pipework against extreme cold weather.
• Pack the branches of tender woody plants with straw or dry grass then cover with fleece and mulch. For more borderline-hardy herbaceous plants such as Agapanthus and Phygelius cover with a thick mulch to protect them over the winter.
• Net all brassicas to protect against damage from pigeons and earth up Brussel sprout stems to give extra support.
• Place cloches over any tender plants or herbs that like dry feet over winter such as Greek oregano and basil.
• Apply winter washes to fruit trees to control over-wintering pests.
• Clean old pots and seed trays ready for next spring.
• Cover rhubarb crowns with a forcer or bucket to produce earlier, sweeter stems.
• Check stored tubers of dahlias and cannas for signs of rot.
• Keep container grown plants such as bay trees & Camellia out of cold winds and protect to prevent the root ball freezing.

Lawns

• Avoid walking on the grass if the soil underneath is frozen as it can ‘break' and kill off the grass. You see the effect of this in spring when the damaged patches become brown and bare.
• If the weather is mild you may still need to cut the grass ensuring the blade height is about 2-4cm. Once the final cut has been completed it is worth considering having your lawnmower and grass cutting equipment serviced before the following spring.

Indoors

• Pinch out the tips of autumn sown sweet peas to encourage bushy growth.
• Bring in Christmas bulbs for flowering and keep in a cool place to extend the life of the flowers.
• December is the perfect time to introduce winter indoor plants for example Poinsettias, Cyclamen, African Violets, Chrysanthemums and Azaleas. The key to being successful with these indoor plants is to ensure that they never dry out, that their very fine root systems are always kept moist and that they are put in a position where there is an adequate amount of light, no draughts and no exposure to excessive heat from radiators.
• Reduce watering of houseplants and if they are looking a little unhappy try moving them to a sunnier windowsill. Don't forget to move susceptible houseplants off windowsills at night to protect them from the cold.
• Bring remaining tender plants into the greenhouse, conservatory or cool spare room.
• Ventilate greenhouses and conservatories on mild days and keep a lookout for over-wintering whitefly and red spider mite.