Colourful rosehips from the 'Oso Happy Smoothie' rose.
The Garden Website for December
New Blog: Making a Garland
New Plant Page: Poinsettias
December Introduction - December Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - December Garden Chores
December Garden Stars - Plant Police - Christmas Tree Selection Guide -
Veggie Beds - Winter Veggie Gardens - Garden Beds
Gift Plants - Houseplants -
December Arrangement - Need Help? - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Sansanqua Camellia
New Plant Page: Poinsettias
December Introduction - December Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - December Garden Chores
December Garden Stars - Plant Police - Christmas Tree Selection Guide -
Veggie Beds - Winter Veggie Gardens - Garden Beds
Gift Plants - Houseplants -
December Arrangement - Need Help? - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Sansanqua Camellia
Cedar boughs and holly make easy and beautiful festive decor.
December Intro
Hoar frost on a hebe.
Gardening in December must be a ridiculous notion for those wading through snow, and it’s certainly not a priority for those with Christmas on their minds, however, for some it does exist. As long as the ground isn’t frozen work can continue like edging, weeding, soil improvement, planting and installing new beds - if you choose to do so.
As a gardener in the Pacific Northwest, my priorities this time of year revolves around protecting plants from heavy snow and fluctuating temperatures. It's the darkest time of the year and brightening up the house greenery from the garden goes a long way to brighten things up. Cedar & pine branches look and smell awesome, but since I also have Mexican mock orange in my garden, that comes inside too. It's leaves are a deep green and oh so shiny. Their deliciously fragrant leaves smell of citrus when fondled. Yes, plant fondling is a thing for those that choose to do so. No judgments here, as long as the plant agrees to it first. And if festive décor isn’t your ‘thang’, maybe some sparkly fairy lights will do. A bit of sparkle goes a long way, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas. No matter you get up to this December, I hope you enjoy the last month of the year and this crisp wintry weather. Wishing you a pleasant December. Cheers and Merry Christmas! Amanda
Poinsettia Selection & Care
Select a poinsettia that has healthy flowers in the centre.
Poinsettias are originally from Mexico where they grow as shrubs or small trees that grow to a height of 12 ft. Their bright red star shaped flowers blossom just in time for Christmas. Modern day cultivars have come a long way from the single red that used to be the norm. Now there are many more colours, colour combinations and petal count. There’s shades of pinks, reds, whites, marbled, spotted, streaked, speckled, fancy-petalled and multi-petalled.
Selecting a fresh poinsettia is key to its longevity. Look for deep green healthy firm leaves with no insects on the underside. But most importantly inspect the centre of the ‘flowers’. Those bright red petals are not petals at all, but bracts, which are modified leaves. To learn more about poinsettias as a gift plant and also as a tropical shrub, click here.
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Amanda's Garden Blog
A kalanchoe donning some Christmas bling.
Check out my blog on my gardening experiments, trials. tribulations and excursions. Click on the items below to be directed to its page.
To subscribe to my blog click here.
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December Garden Stars
Beautyberry, Callicarpa formosana, deciduous shrub, sun to part shade, 3 to 9 ft. Zones 8 to 10.
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Himalayan white birch, Betula utilis var. jacquemontii, grows 30 to 40ft, 18x20ft wide. Deciduous tree, Zones 4 -7.
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Harry Lauder's Walking Stick, Corylus avellana 'Contorta'. Deciduous shrub, 8 to 10 ft tall and wide. Zone 4 to 8.
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Acer griseum, paperbark maple, deciduous tree, zones 4-8, 20 to 30' x 15 to 25', sun to part shade, attractive peeling bark.
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Symphoricarpos albus, snowberry, deciduous shrub, 3-6 ft tall & wide, pink summer blooms, white winter berries, sun. Zones 3 to 7.
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Red twig dogwood, Cornus sericea, grows 6 to 9 ft x 7 to 10ft. Full sun, part shade. Zones 3 to 7.
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Ilex aquifolium 'Argentea Marginata', variegated English holly, broadleaf evergreen, part to full sun, 15’ – 20’ x 8’ to 12’, need female for berries with male pollinator nearby. Zones 6 to 9.
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Emerald & Gold wintercreeper, Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald & Gold'. Grows to 3ft x 4ft. Broadleaf evergreen, Zones 5 to 8.
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Dwarf Alberta spruce, Picea glauca 'Conica', is a coniferous evergreen. Zones 2 to 8, 6 to 12 ft. tall, 4 to 5 ft wide.
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Heavenly bamboo, Nandina domestica, broadleaf evergreen, not a bamboo, white June flowers, orange berries, red fall colour, sun to shade, 3-8’ x 2-4’. Zones 8 to 10. Potentially invasive in Midwestern USA.
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Barberry, Berberis thunbergii, a thorny, deciduous shrub, 3 to 6' tall, 4 to 7' wide, yellow flowers in April to May, red berries in fall, full sun. Zone 4-8.
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Sweet box, Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis, broad leaf evergreen. Grows to 2ft x 4 ft. Fragrant white small blooms in early spring. Part to full shade. Zones 6 to 8.
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A christmas Garland
Add small bouquets of real greenery from your garden to make a lush garland.
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Combine real and faux florals to create a long lasting garland.
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A garland is a wonderful way to showcase a window, a door, a mantelpiece, wall art or anything else that strikes your fancy. They are pretty easy to make whether they are made from scratch or if you doll-up a simple fake evergreen bough from the dollar store. Add sprigs of cedar, pine and other fresh flora to make it more realistic, lush and fragrant. Click here for instructions if you want to give garland making a go.
A simple and elegant wreath at Harrison Hotsprings Resort.
December PLANT COMBO
From left to right: Silver Queen wintercreeper, winter heath and an English boxwood.
These three shrubs make a good combination because they vary in texture, colour and form. Since they are broadleaf evergreens, they will look good together all year long, not just throughout the winter. The pale shrub top left is a Silver Queen wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei 'Silver Queen'). The low pink shrub in the front is a winter heath (Erica carnea) and the deep green shrub on the right is a common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa').
plant police
Bad pruning, pruning to late in the year and bad planting have contributed to this sad boxwood hedge.
This common boxwood has got numerous issues, with the most detrimental one being incorrect planting. Although it is difficult to see on the picture, it has been planted too high exposing the roots. There is no mulch. It was pruned in November, which is too late in the season, and way too much was removed at one time. The subsequent browning and death of the remaining stems is from winterkill.
Christmas Trees
To flock or not to flock? There's lots to learn about Christmas trees.
There's many kinds of conifers that make excellent Christmas trees, but no matter which type you get, the fresher the tree, the better. To learn more about the different types of Christmas trees, their care and disposal, click here.
It’s winter, are you ready?
Tie up evergreens so they don't become flattened with heavy snow.
Here, in Vancouver, B.C., heavy rain can quickly turn into thick heavy snow this time of year. Snow is a great insulator, but if it's too heavy it crushes plants and breaks branches. To prevent this horror, tie up pyramidal and globe evergreens with string before the snow arrives.
Protect tender plants such as elephant ear (Colocasia), New Zealand flax (Phormium), bananas, palm trees, roses, pineapple lily (Eucomis autumnalis), freesias, fuchsias and cannas Don’t use plastic as it promotes a rotting turning plants into a mushy mess and it has no insulating value. Cover tender plants with 6 inches of soil, leaves or mulch on top of their crowns (where the stems meet the soil). You can also wrap above ground portion of plants with layers of burlap, sheets, rugs, and cardboard. Cage bananas, palms and tree ferns and fill the cage with foliage or mulch. For more on protecting bananas and palm trees click here. Go into the garden after a downpour, high winds or a heavy snowfall to make sure everything is tickety-boo. Downed limbs, broken branches, toppled trees and smashed shrubs are all too common during the winter months. Remove any broken limbs especially from trees asap and upright any fallen plants. While you’re at it, don’t let snow accumulate on balconies and rooftops as the structure may collapse with the extra weight. Got Ice? Putting salt on paths, sidewalks and other areas where plants are close by, is not a good idea. Salt burn damages plants and contaminates soil. Maybe winterkill isn’t killing your plants, maybe it’s the salt. An alternative is eco-friendly organic salt-free de-icer. For traction only use kitty litter, sand, alfalfa meal or coffee grounds. 
Ice is brutal on plants, but the use of salt causes even more damages as it contaminates soil.
Winter Veg Gardens: Inspect, Mulch & Harvest
Brussels sprouts benefit from being staked so they don't fall over.
Harvest as needed as the cool temps help preserve freshness and improve flavour: parsnips, winter cabbage, kale, chard and leeks. Remove any diseased or buggy leaves from the plant and the ground. Harvest Brussels sprouts when they are one inch diameter. Twist them off the stem starting with the ones at the base. Stake them if necessary as they tend to lean over if they are overloaded. Since it’s difficult to harvest beets and other root crops when the soil is frozen, add a few inches of straw to keep soil warmer. For more on winter veggies click here.
Veggie beds
Whether you are growing crops throughout the winter or not, cover the soil with straw or newspaper. Put at least 2 inches down so it doesn’t blow away. Either tear the newspaper into strips or just lay it out flat. Covering the soil will stops weeds, erosion and the loss of soil nutrients. To learn more about veggie gardening click here.
Houseplants
Houseplants suffer in the winter due to forced heating, cool windows and lack of sun.
Place in front of your sunniest windows, but don’t let them touch a cold window. It causes serious damage to any plant parts that it comes in contact with. Remove all yellow and pale leaves, old flowers from the plant and top of the soil.
Spider Mites: If leaves are mottled, are pale and look dusty, check for tiny spider webs under the foliage and where they meet the stems. Sponge infected plants a mild dishwashing liquid and lukewarm water. For small plants, just dip them upside down in the soapy solution with your hand straddling the top of the pot. Keep them submerged for a few seconds then upright them. Repeat every 7 days and don’t let them dry out so much between watering. Spider mites love dry soil. Mealy bugs: If you see fuzzy white stuff in the nooks and crannies of houseplants such as jade plants, African violets, it could be mealy bugs. Cacti and succulents are especially prone. This common insect loves to infest plants that are grown inside, including greenhouses. Use a Q-tip dipped in alcohol rub (isopropyl alcohol) to remove each and every fuzzy bug. Mealybugs like wet soil and warm temperatures, so ease up on the watering and move plants away from sources of heat. To learn more about controlling insects click here. |
December Garden ChoresClick on any green or red items below to be redirected to a relevant page for more information.
A broom will easily remove the heavy snow on this crushed winter heath so we can enjoy its flowers.
Drainage: If your garden is under water, take time to note where the water is collecting. If you are up to it, install a French drain or get a professional landscaper that deals with such drainage issues. Get referrals and check out their past happy customers. That’s one job you want to make sure they know what they are doing. Click here for more on how to install a French drain and how to deal with wet soils.
Flood Prevention: Clean gutters and remove debris from the city’s storm drains and catch basins to prevent roads and sidewalks from flooding. They are easily blocked by leaves and other debris especially after heavy winds and rain so inspect often. Slugs/Snails: Rainy days are great for slug hunting as they are out in droves. Carry a cup of salty water to plop them in. Show them whose boss. Click here for more. Weeds: Since they are not growing vigorously this time of year, they are much easier to dig up. For horsetail control click here. 
I have to keep my humming bird feeder topped up to accommodate Anna's Hummingbirds as they often stay throughout the winter in Southern BC.
Birds: Suet and seed are winter essentials for birds. Just a few caveats though. Don’t run out of food as they will come to depend on you for their survival and make sure the feeders are clean. Driving rain and snow will turn seeds into a soggy mess, so check them often. Put out fresh water daily when the weather dips below freezing.
Hummingbirds: Not all hummingbirds fly south for the winter as my busy feeders can attest to. It depends of where you live of course, but here in south west British Columbia, Anna's hummingbirds don't fly south. This tough little cookie is only 4 inches long at best, but it survives our wet temperate, sometimes snowy winters. If you have been feeding hummingbirds throughout the year, continue to do so until it is obvious that they have gone south for the winter. Bring feeders inside overnight to prevent the nectar from freezing so the hummingbirds are able to feed in the morning. 
Overwintering Plants: Remove dead foliage and flowers from geraniums, bougainvilleas and other plants that were brought inside for the winter. Inspect plants for bugs and treat with soap and water if necessary. Water to keep soil slightly moist.
Lawns: Keep off the grass it is frozen. If not, rake the last of the fallen leaves from the lawn and rake into garden beds.
Pruning: At this time of year just remove any dead and broken branches. Cuttings: Take hardwood cuttings from trees and shrubs. 
The sweet smell of winter daphne, like this variegated Daphne (D. odora 'Aureo Marginata') is a lovely garden addition for the grey days of winter.
Fragrance: For a fragrant winter garden add these sweet smelling shrubs: winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), sweetbox (Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis), winter daphne (Daphne odora) and wintersweet/Japanese allspice (Chimonanthus praecox).
Containers: Protect pots from cracking by bringing them inside, moving them to a sheltered spot and/or wrapping them in bubble wrap, insulation or blankets. Check all your outside container plants to make sure they are not drowning with the winter rains. For those under eaves, the opposite applies, make sure they don’t dry out. Putting Things Away: If you haven’t already done so clean, prepare and put away tools, garden equipment and lawnmower etc. Drain garden hoses and store in a protected location. Drain the outside faucets by shutting off the interior shut-off valve to the water line leading to the faucet. Once the water is drained, close the tap. Shed: Remove fertilizers and other garden products, especially liquids, from unheated sheds and garages and store them in the basement or another frost free location. 
Now is a great time to take cuttings from your favorite trees and shrubs, including roses.
Journal: This is a good time to make notes about your gardening year. Include successes and well as failures and things you would do differently. Include a plan (photos work well) of the garden this past year so you can plan for next year.
Add Winter Interest: Spruce up a lackluster garden with interesting plants that provide colour, appealing shapes and different textures. Visit your local plant nursery for the best and the brightest. Plant Bulbs: If the ground is not frozen and you can still find healthy spring flowering bulbs, plant asap. They might be a tad late to flower, but they should still perform well. 
Quickie Décor: Bring the outdoors inside with red dogwood stems, colourful rosehips, red holly berries and other colourful stems and berries. Make the arrangement lush by adding evergreen branches and add a bow.
It's simple and inexpensive to convert any planter into something festive with the help of cut evergreen branches, interesting and colourful twigs and some glitz for some bling. For 10 Steps to a Festive Planter, click here.
Garden BEds
Cocoa appreciates a thick leafy mulch.
Save yourself time and trouble by leaving fall foliage on garden beds. ‘Naked’ soil is not good any time of year, but especially during the winter. Garden beds that aren’t covered with plants and/or a mulch are subject to depletion of soil and nutrients. Heavy rain and melting snow erode the soil and leaches out nutrients. Winter weeds will invade. The soil will expand and contract with fluctuation temperatures. This heaving of the soil uproots plants including spring flowering bulbs. To protect the soil from the ravages of winter as well as the rest of the year, lay 3 inches of organic mulch. Use fallen leaves or purchase bagged wood chips, available at garden centres. To learn about fall clean up click here. For more on mulches click here.
Before laying mulch, weed first.
To prolong the flowering of potted daffodils, hyacinths, tulips and other spring bulbs, turn the thermostat down at night.
Gift Plants
To prolong their life keep gift plants, like this amaryllis, out of drafts and heating vents.
To prolong the life of poinsettias, Christmas cactus and amaryllis, keep them away from heating vents, cold windows, open windows and drafts. Place them in the brightest light possible, preferably a southern or west facing window. Allow the soil to slightly dry out between watering, but don’t let them dry out too much as this makes them prone to spider mites. Look for tiny webs with the tiniest spiders on the undersides of the leaves. Wash them down with soap and water every 7 days and don’t let them dry out so much between watering.
December Arrangement
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Plant of the month
Winter Camellia, SASANQUA CAMELLIA
'Yuletide' is a popular winter camellia cultivar with 3 inch fragrant red blossoms.
The Yuletide winter camellia grows 8 to 10 feet tall and wide.
Jean May camellia 3 to 5 inch blossoms bear a slight fragrance,
Jean May camellias have a bushy habit and grow from 6 to 10 feet. They prefer a part sun to a shady location.
Setsugekka camellia flowers from early fall to early winter with large semi-double white flowers.
Appropriately named a 'Yuletide' camellia is flowering on cue in December planter located in Seattle.
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Common Name: Sasanqua camellia, winter camellia
Botanical Name: Camellia sasanqua Form: pyramidal, oval-rounded, tree-like to open & pendulous depending on variety Family: Theaceae Genus: Camellia Species: sasanqua Plant Type: broadleaf evergreen Mature Size: 6’ to 14’ x 5’ to 7’ Growth: fast Origin: Japan, China Hardiness Zone: 7 to 9 Foliage: dark green, glossy up to 3” long, hairs on midrib & petioles, with rounded serrated margins Flowers: September to January, 2-3” fragrant, pink, red or white, 6 to 8 petals with showy yellow stamens, which remain after petal-fall Fruit: ¾” red shiny, smooth capsule Stems: pubescent (hairy) Exposure: full sun to part shade, protected area Soil: acid pH of 6.0 to 6.5, rich, evenly moist, well drained Uses: mixed borders, foundation plantings, hedges, screens, hedgerows, woodland Propagation: Pruning: prune after flowering to shape Problems: anthracnose, viruses, black mold, petal blight, canker, root rot, iron deficiency, scale insects and spider mites Cultivars: new cultivars include single, semi-double to fully double petals Comments: Late fall and winter flowering plants are not the norm, so when one is as beautiful as the sasanqua camellia blossoms, it’s a worthy of a place in the garden. Finding the right spot is key to their health and performance as they are a bit fussy. Prefers morning sun and afternoon dappled shade in a protected area from hot sun and wind. Doesn’t like dry soil so provide water during dry spells, especially the summer and add 3 inches of an organic mulch. They tolerate more sun if the soil is moist. They grow best in soils high in organic matter so add compost, leaf mold, well-rotted and/or composted mantures. Blooms for 4 to 6 weeks as additional flowers replace the spent ones and sporadically occurs up to 6 months. The showy yellow stamens remain on the plant after the petals fall. The beautiful blossoms are followed by small rounded fruits. A common problem with camellias is chlorosis – a lack of iron. Symptoms are yellow leaves with green veins. They need a rich acid soil with lots of organic matter. Improve soil conditions by adding compost, well-rotted manure etc. A good 3 inch layer of mulch is essential to prevent chlorosis and for overall plant health. To correct the condition, improve the soil, add mulch and apply iron chelates, available at garden centres, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 
Winter flowering camellias provides a bold deep green background for surrounding plants year long while jazzing up the garden in winter.
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Need Help?
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Need help figuring what to do in your garden? Make an appointment for Amanda to come to your garden to show you how to grow food, sow seeds, prune, design beds etc. Need help trying to figure out how to get the garden ready for spring? Get Amanda to teach you the ropes by making an appointment here.
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Job Postings
For landscapers looking for work and landscape companies looking to hire.
If you are looking for work or if you wish to post a position please go to Job Postings.
If you are looking for work or if you wish to post a position please go to Job Postings.
THE GARDEN WEBSITE INDEX
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Container Growing 101Monthly Flower Arrangements
Growing Roses Introduction Mulching & Types Introduction |
for the tropical Gardener
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here.
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