December 2021 Gardening Tips

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Dear Gardening Friends,   I hope all of you have a HAPPY, SAFE and HEALTY Holiday season and New Year!! The following are some things you can do now.   -With the lack of consistent snow cover, it’s important to protect your plants from temperature fluctuations. An easy way to do this is to lightly cover plants that were new this year or have shallow roots. A few options are:   Pine boughs – they make an easy and excellent winter mulch. As soon as people discard their Christmas trees I go around and clip the larger branches from the bottom then place them over plants that needed protection. You can also check out your local dump (where the village/town takes all the trees) and cut enough for the whole yard in a short time. It’s a wonderful way to get some quick and easy mulch that works well. So, take advantage of this free resource. (Just don’t collect from my neighborhood!) Leaves work well also. Instead of raking them all to the street save a few bags or piles to much those tender perennials.  Straw can be used in the same way and purchased at a garden or farm supply         store. The important thing is not to use hay which would drop seeds and turn your garden into a hayfield. Trust me, I speak from experience! This is a good time to prune away any branches that have been or might be damaged from winter wind or in the way. Make sure to trim back to a branch join and not leave stubs. Most other pruning should wait till late winter/early spring. Picking up downed branches and debris is always a good winter job. Just be mindful of walking on soft garden or turf.   Houseplants: This is the time of year when some houseplants are probably needing a little attention. Trim off yellowing/ browning leaves or branches. Give your plants a shower to wash off the dust. Either in the sink or tub. The laves of larger plants can be wiped down with a natural sponge or damp soft cloth. Check for insects. If there is sticky residue on leaves or areas under a plant that is a sign of scale, aphid or white fly. Check online at a”.edu” site for what to do. If your plant has a white crusty residue on the soil or water runs right through the pot when you water, the plant should be repotted later in the winter when the days get longer. Use a good lightweight potting mix. By mid-February you can start repotting and taking cuttings of overwintering annuals or houseplants   Misc.: This is a good time to look through catalogues and plan for the upcoming season. Don’t just look at the pretty flowers in catalogues, be sure to match any plants you plan to use to the growing conditions you have and consider adding a few natives.        Gift suggestions: There are a few great books I’d like to suggest giving a fellow gardener or treat yourself:      Nature’s Best Hope, by Doug Tallamy. This book covers a new approach to conservation which starts in your yard.      Deer Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast, by Ruth Rogers Clausen and Gregory Tipper. A wonderful resource for anyone with deer issues. Covers detailed information about each plant.     Educational Opportunities: What better way to spend a winter’s day than attending a gardening class. It will help you improve your gardening and get you in the mood for spring. There are 2 excellent Master Gardener events coming up. Put them on your calendar and more details will be in the January Garden Tips.   Annual Spring Bloom Classes:   Saturday, February 12, 9:00-11:45 - Backyard Gardening, Food and Flowers. Two sessions to be held live at a city location   Saturday, February 26, 9:00-11:45 - Pollinators and the Plants They Love – Two sessions to be held on Zoom.   For details go to http://erie.cce.cornell.edu/events   MG Education Day:   MGED is Saturday March 12, 2022 at Classics V Banquet Center. Those of you who have attended in the past know what a fun and educational day this is. We have 2 outstanding presenters:   Joseph Tychonievich, rated one of the best gardening speakers in the country and noted author will make two presentations:             Rock Gardening, Reimagining a Classic Style for Today’s Garden             Great, Non-Wimpy Plants that You Don’t Already Grow   Joseph Han, owner of The English Gardener Landscaping Company will present on:             Floriferous Design   Registration will begin Febuary 1st. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this amazing and fun day. More detailed information will be in January Garden Tips.   Winter Garden Consultations: Yes, I do winter consultations. If you’re planning changes in your landscape this coming season getting an early start planning now will be helpful. Having a Garden Consultation in the winter is a good way to start. Just call me for an appointment.             Happy Gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 lyn@lessonsfromnature.biz 652-2432         Copyright © 2014 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*