Antidotes for the Stir-Crazy Gardener
Ready to start gardening? Though in some areas it may not yet be warm enough to get outdoors, use any of these methods to get your gardening fix.
December Gardening Checklist
What to do in the garden in December
Make winter decorations from cuttings
Scout the yard for natural materials, such as evergreen trees and shrubs, berried branches, dried seed pods, and colorful twigs to make containers, wreaths and swags to decorate both inside and out.
Bring it in
Bring any tools, temporary supports, and containers in from outside. Be sure to clean and sharpen tools before storing them.
Protect tender plants from cold and wind with fabric or clear plastic.
Protect
In warmer zones, when temperatures dip, protect tender plants. Cover the plants with row covers, burlap, or clear plastic and use stakes to keep the protective material from touching the plants. Burlap windbreaks can protect young trees and shrubs from cold and wind.
Read more about protecting plants from winter damage.
Start thinking about next year's garden
Assess how your gardens fared this past year. Jot down what plants you liked (and which you didn’t) before you forget. Make note of plants that need to be moved. Think about improvements or changes you’d like to make. The notes will be a big help when it comes to seed- and plant-buying time.
Colorful indoor plants
- Pot up amaryllis, paperwhites, or pre-chilled hyacinths so you’ll have winter blooms inside for the holidays and beyond.
- When shopping for a poinsettia, look for ones that aren’t wilting, are fully colored, and aren’t being displayed in the store with sleeves on. (Those are for outdoor transportation only.) The store should protect your poinsettia with plastic or paper sleeves for the ride home. At home, remove any foil liner or at least poke holes in the bottom so root-rotting water doesn’t back up into the pot.
Potting hyacinth bulbs to bloom indoors. Victoria Kondysenko | AwakenedEye | iStock via Getty Images
- Don’t overlook other great plant choices for indoor color. Poinsettias aren’t your only option. Consider african violets, kalanchoe, cyclamen, bromeliads, ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia, Christmas cactus, orchids, peace lilies, or even blooming mini-cactus. Here's how to keep plants blooming for months.
Cyclamen. Thomas Demarczyk | AwakenedEye | iStock via Getty Images
