December 2025 Tips

Dear Gardening Friends,   I hope all of you have a HAPPY, SAFE and HEALTY Holiday season and New Year!! Let’s hope for a good upcomming garden season.   Mother Nature came through with some rain during November which will help our trees, shrubs and plants get through the winter. A good snow cover will also help protect plants by keeping the soil from freezing and thawing with temperature changes. If there is a lack of consistent snow cover, it’s important to protect your plants from these 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 take 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!)   Large pine boughs can also be used around small shrubs to keep the deer from munching. Simply stick the stems in the ground so the boughs are upright and cover the sides and top of the shrub. Works like a charm, it’s free and easy to do.    Straw can be used as winter mulch 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!   If you buy any holiday plants like poinsettias, be sure to cover them well when taking them from the store to your home. The frigid air from the sore to your car/house can seriously damage the plant. In your home keep them away from cold drafts, warm air from heat sources and too much bright sun.   Watering, too much and too little is what kills most holiday plants. Remove the foil sheath when watering so water doesn’t sit in the bottom which can cause the roots to rot. Poke your finger into the soil and feel if it is moist. If so, don’t water until the soil is dry.   Whatever plant you have check online at a “.edu” or Botanical Garden site for proper care. Don’t go to a chat room as the information may not be accurate.     Educational Opportunity:   MG Education Day: save the date!     This year MGED is Saturday March 7, 2026 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 3 outstanding presenters:   Dan Segal, Plantsman Nursery - Understanding Cultivars, Nativars, and Native Species’ Nell Gardener – Horticulturist and grower - ‘Flowers in your Landscape’ Carl Schimenti, Cornell - ‘Good, Better, Best Approaches to Urban Green Space Management’   Save the date. Registration will begin February 1st. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this amazing and fun day. More detailed registration information will be in January Garden Tips.   Gift suggestion: Lessons from Nature gift certificates for garden consults or perennials from the plant sale next May would be enjoyed by any gardener. Simply contact me and I can email you the gift certificate.   The East Auroa Historical Society has a fabulous craft sale Saturday Dec. 6th from 9-4 at The Millard Fillmore House Museum, 24 Shearer Ave. E Aurora. Along with the craft sale is a wonderful sale of fresh wreaths, swags and table arrangements all made by E Aurora Garden Club members. The arrangements are amazing and much more reasonable than from a florist. They make wonderful gifts for yourself and others. I’ll be selling them from the barn outside the museum so stop by and say hello. Come early as things sell out fast.   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 [email protected] 716-652-2432 Copyright © 2023 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. You're receiving this message because you requested to receive Lessons from Nature newsletters. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences