December

Make Christmas decor.

Cutting your own Christmas tree is a time-honored tradition, and if you plan ahead several years, you can grow your own. An easier (and faster) craft is to make your own Christmas wreaths or swags. I use pine, fir, holly, cedar, and local invasives like privet and nandina as my base. I often add in dried flowers, seed heads, or colored leaves or vines: hydrangea, bee balm, sedum, wild blackberry, eucalyptus, yarrow, and pinecones. Including herbs is also traditional: bay leaves, rosemary, lavender, sage, and oregano or thyme are all great. Get creative! I’ve seen people include brussels sprouts, moss or lichen, gourds, artichokes, apples, dried orange slices, cranberry and even pineapple in their decor. When you make your own, you can do whatever you like.

Mulch. 

Keep mulching, mulching, mulching. 

Keep up with birdfeeders and bird baths. 

Keep bird feeders topped up with food, and be sure bird baths have accessible, non-frozen water as much as possible. 

Inventory your seeds, bulbs and plants. 

Go through your stored seeds and bulbs, as well as the plants in your garden. Make a list of seeds or bulbs you need to buy. For plants, note any that have died and need to be replaced, as well as any that are doing well and need to be divided. Take note of any plants that should be transplanted or relocated in spring, and start ordering new seeds, bulbs and/or plants.

Find an indoor project. 

As the days get dark and cold, it can be fun to find an indoor project — perhaps something to put out in the garden next year, or something that celebrates the harvest of this one. Build a birdhouse, bug house, tuteur, garden bench, trellis, or even a pergola. Weave a garden basket. Make wreath frames from grape or honeysuckle vines. Make soap, candles, bath salts and beauty products using dried herbs and flowers from the previous year.

Tidy up your garden shed and tools. 

The slow season is the time to do all the things you don’t have time for during the growing season: sharpen your secateurs, clean the caked mud off your shovels, sweep out the shed or garage, wash and dry empty pots and seed trays.  

Harvest winter veg. 

Root crops, brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, kale, and some other winter-hardy greens should still be going strong. Harvest them as you need them. 

Weed. 

You only thought you were finished. Seriously, winter is the best time to dig out perennial weeds like couch grass — when the top growth is weakened and it’s easy to see the roots among the soil. Remember that weeds like couch grass can sprout from the smallest piece of root, so dig out every bit you see.  

Care for livestock. 

Winter livestock care is in full swing. Keep water tanks free of ice. Allow animals to roam and graze whenever the weather is nice, and ensure they’re as protected as they need to be from winter weather (some animals tolerate it better than others — it’s your responsibility to know what shelter your livestock needs). Give animals fresh or green food often to balance their largely hay- or grain-based diet at this time of year. 

Care for house plants. 

Water most house plants just once a week, and monitor their light levels (some house plants like low light and others prefer bright, direct light). If you timed it right, your forced bulbs should be blooming this month. If you want to reuse them next year, remember to let them keep growing after the bloom fades: cut the flower stalk, but let the leaves grow and feed the bulb for next year. 

Relax. 

In the northern hemisphere, anyway, December is almost universally a time of rest and celebration. So do that.