Gardening by Month - December
Enjoy sunny days in the garden while helping your plants and wildlife through the colder months. Here are our top tips for December:
- Add a generous layer of mulch around the roots of tender plants. This can help regulate soil temperature and protect from frost while keeping in moisture.
- Move pots to a sheltered position to protect them from the worst of winter weather.
- Wrap any delicate plants in horticultural fleece that allows rainwater and sunlight in while protecting plants from lower temperatures. Larger plants might benefit from a layer of fleece at ground level to protect their roots. Give strawberry plants a thick layer of straw.
- Protect taller plants from fierce winds by staking and tying them for support.
- If you haven’t already pruned your roses, reduce them by about a third and cut back old branches.
- If you’re tempted to plant new shrubs, the soil will remain warm for a while so get digging. Garsons plant of the month is the hellebore or Christmas rose, which goes beautifully in a shady spot with cyclamen.
- Consider what you would like to change in the garden next season. Now’s a great time to plan ahead with your wishlist.
- It’s an easy job to pull up weeds while the soil is damp.
- Look after wild birds and other wildlife by having an unfrozen water source at ground level as well as a bird bath. Feed birds with high energy food such as peanuts and suet balls. Garsons has a selection of food and habitats for your garden visitors. Why not choose a bird table, bird bath or feeder as a Christmas present?
Moving indoors, bring festive foliage and flowers inside with flowering houseplants and natural decorations. Christmas favourites include the poinsettia, amaryllis, orchid, Christmas cactus, cyclamen and scented hyacinth. Celebrate the cosy season by filling your home with colour and charm. Check out the winter wonderland at Garsons, including Christmas trees and festive wreaths.
Until next month, wrap up warm to enjoy your garden and have a very merry Christmas!
