This Month in Gardening – December

There’s not a lot to do around the garden in December, and as such, now is a good time for planning and prepping for spring. Take note of what plants worked well in your garden and which ones did not. Was it a constant struggle to keep a plant alive? It might be time to let it “go to the birds” so to speak.

Continue to rake or blow leaves and bag them, mulch them, or compost them. If you haven’t laid mulch in your beds yet, there’s no time like the present! Mulching around plants can help insulate them from the cold weather.

Empty and store hoses for the winter to keep hoses in the best shape and from creating holes.

Perennials

• You can still plant spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, etc. provided the ground is not frozen.
• Order spring-planted, summer-flowering bulbs now (many sites have sales for ordering early)
• Mulch all perennial beds with chopped leaves (because whole leaves will create a mat through which plants don’t grow well), pine straw, or other mulch to protect plants from the elements
  

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Annuals

• You can still plant amaryllis or paper-white bulbs indoors for winter blooms. Many stores (online and in person) sell amaryllis kits which make them pretty easy to grow.
  
• It’s the time of year for poinsettias indoors as well – they like temperatures between 68 and 75 degrees F. Take off the foil wrapper because water will pool in the bottom, which can lead to root rot. If you don’t like the look, put it in a decorative pot instead!
  

Trees

• You can still plant trees in the ground if the ground isn’t freezing.
• Make sure to water it if you don’t get rain once a week. People often forget their plants still need water in the winter.
  

Did you pot up amaryllis or paperwhite bulbs this year? This is my first time trying the amaryllis bulbs, and it has been pretty easy so far!