Posted: December 2, 2021
Gardening involves things that can be done routinely at the same time every year. Our focus is on Native Plant Gardening and will include some general gardening as well. Though annual weather may influence timing of these tasks, these are the things to check off your list now that December has arrived.
When the leaves fall, these winterberries shine.
Cleaning and Clean-up: By now you should have cleaned your tools, disconnected hoses, sprinklers, and any other water features. If you have not done these things, this is your last opportunity before a hard freeze. It is also a good time to sharpen your tools or have them sharpened. More on tool maintenance.
Winter is often described as cold, dark, and dreary: The good news is it doesn't have to be that way. We are lucky to live in a region with several native plants that offer winter color. During this bleak time a colorful native garden just might be the remedy for those cold and dreary winter days. The perfect plant to add in the spring is a Winterberry Holly, Ilex verticillata. You will need male and female. It is a compact native shrub that loses its leaves in autumn, showing bare branches bursting with crimson berries throughout the winter months. It is pictured in this report.
Take care of our feathered friends: Shrubs with colorful berries provide excellent nutrition for winter wildlife and birds. Other excellent choices Northern bayberry, Southern Arrowwood, and Chokeberry. Food and water for birds become scarce once plants go dormant and water freezes over populations. Here are more tips for helping birds during the winter season.
Another wonderful plant for winter interest is a Red Twig Dogwood, Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) has beautiful red stems. It grows well in sun or shade, has a compact habit of about 5 feet, and tolerates a full range of soils. They should be pruned heavily in the spring every 3 years because brightest color is on new wood.
Evergreens for the Holiday: As a general rule, evergreens require little pruning. So, resist the urge to go into your garden and take off branches! Never prune a pine in winter-it could seriously damage or kill the tree. Purchase your greens from your local garden center, don't risk harming a wonderful tree. You can snip off a few holly stems from your garden to bring inside.
December brings the first new catalogs and communication from seed suppliers for next Season's supplies. It is fun to browse them, looking for new items to grow. This is a good time to look for sales on garden tools and supplies as well. I have already gotten sale catalogs from some of the big garden supply companies that sell online. Check out local garden centers for sales too.
Remember your gardening friends when planning your holiday giving. You can get them tools, garden gloves, gardening books or other publications, journals, and even a heated birdbath. Any of these will be a hit!
~Pamela E. Hall, Master Gardener, Lancaster County
