Gardening Jobs for December

Cold frosty mornings, clear blue skies and snow make December a truly magical month, not to mention its Christmas Time! There is still plenty to be doing in the garden. This is a great time to do all those jobs we don’t really have time for in the summer, such as building a pergola or that dry stone wall that would look great at the bottom of the path. The best part of gardening in winter is you can come in when it gets dark around 3:30 and sit in front of a roaring fire and have hot chocolate and not feel at all guilty because you’ve already burnt off the calories. Well that’s what I tell myself.

Garden Jobs

• If you are giving or have been given an indoor plant such as an Azalea or forced bulbs keep them cool to prolong their flowering.
• If you are buying a living Christmas tree, make sure it is container grown. They will hold their needles much longer than cut. Remember to collect your needles if you are having a cut tree to put in your blueberry container, or for any acidic loving plant.
• Its that time to bring in the hose pipe to protect it from frosts. Make sure you drain it first though.
• If you feel crafty then the stems of Dog Wood, Willow, Hazel, Holly and Ivy are great for Christmas decorations.
• Don’t forget out little birdy friends, but please clean your bird table and feeders regularly to avoid spreading diseases.
• Your prepared bulbs can be brought in ready for Christmas flowering.
• Now your Christmas Roses or Hellebore’s come into their element.
• Leave your grasses for winter architectural interest.
• Check your stored tubers and rhizomes.
• Put mulch around some of the half hardy border plants such as Agapanthus and Phygelius.

Veggie Plot Jobs

• Protect your blueberry containers in hessian, this will help to protect the roots.
• Prune your grape vines now as they will be dormant.
• Stake and earth up your brussel sprouts to stop the wind from damaging them.
• Check your stored fruit and veg for any signs of diseases or rot.
• Continue to harvest your winter veggies as they are needed.
• Do not prune stone fruit such as cherries until late spring to help avoid silver leaf disease.
• Divide and replant your rhubarb.