When it comes to December gardening jobs, you might be forgiven for feeling it’s all a bit gloomy. After all, the general theme seems to be protecting and tidying. It doesn’t sound or feel very creative.
However, I think there’s a lot of satisfaction to be had out of nurturing the plants you have. Which is really what December’s gardening is all about. And when they reward you by looking absolutely splendid next year, you’ll feel so thrilled with yourself. Furthermore, these jobs get you out of the house and into the fresh air, and that’s good for the spirits – especially during our darker, shorter days.
So let’s do ourselves and our gardens a favour and get outside and garden… Here’s what I’ll be up to this month.
1.Pot Protection
I have masses of pots and many of them are terracotta. While they are theoretically frost resistant, experience tells me that the can still succumb to weather extremes. And the poor plants in them – well their roots may be growing deep but, if you think about it, they’re still close to the surface because they are in a pot. So my December gardening jobs includes a bit of pot TLC.
I’ll move many of the more vulnerable pots to our patio where it’s more sheltered. Other pots, housing my camellias I’ll wrap in bubble wrap, to protect both the plants and the pots.
2. Rake up Leaves
Still have leaves falling? Then rake them up. If they’re on grass they won’t do your lawn any favours. If you’ve space to store them, pop the leaves into bags to make your own leaf mould. Not sure why you should bother? Here’s my blog on how to make and use leaf mould.
3. Protect Tender Plants
Last year’s shocking frosts killed off quite a number of my plants. Perennials which normally romp through the winter quite happily, with no help from me, perished. I lost agapanthus, a cistus, and a wonderfully fragranced variegated daphne. My beloved Penstemon Garnet died too.
I had a ginormous pot of the beauty on our patio. It’s a particularly lovely penstemon with hot pink-red foxglove type flowers which are at full throttle from July right through into October. These are an absolute bee magnet.
Luckily I had taken a cutting of the parent plant. So when I found it dead as a dodo in its pot in the spring, I could replace the poor old thing.
But I’m keen to avoid my new penstemon going the same way. So I’m making sure my December gardening jobs include protecting my more tender perennials and shrubs.
I’m doing this by putting a thick layer of mulch – either well rotted manure, compost or leaf mould around their bases. This will include my new penstemon, my clematis and also my gorgeous pittosporum.
Pittosporum
Pittosporum are neat evergreen shrubs. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from large and conical to more compact and domed and have shiny, often variegated or even colourful leaves.
I’m not sure which variety mine is, but it’s a handsome specimen, with slightly wavy leaves. It just provides some year round interest and the perfect hiding spot on our patio for birds making their way to our bird feeders.
I’ve had it in a pot on my patio for many years – and have never thought to protect it. But my lovely neighbour Desi, who is a professional gardener, says many of her customers’ pittosporums died last year in the frosts. So I’m taking no chances. Although it’s already on a sheltered patio I’m going to give extra protection with a layer of mulch.
4. Pruning
While I’m not a big fan of over-tidying a garden, if you have overgrown shrubs or hedges and you haven’t already done so, prune them now while they are dormant, to get them into a neater shape. It’s amazing how if they are in a tidy shape it makes the rest of your garden look tidy too!
The reason why winter is the ideal time to prune is that this is a time when the sap is not as active. So the cut if less likely to ‘bleed’ and the plant it less likely to be shocked by the pruning. It gives the plant plenty of time to regroup and heal before the all important growth period in the spring. If the shrub is deciduous you can also better see what you’re doing with the leaves gone.
Also, you don’t want to disturb nesting birds who have made a home in your shrubs by tinkering with the plants during March-September.
5. Bird Feeders
Talking of birds, one of our favourite December gardening jobs is washing off and filling up the bird-feeders. Getting them back in action.
You might think this isn’t strictly a ‘gardening’ job. But If you have the feeders near roses, the birds will pick off any pesky over-wintering pests while they’re at it. So for me, it qualifies as gardening.
In essence, I really feel that if you have a wildlife friendly garden – don’t use pesticides, pellets or sprays and just let mother nature thrive – the creatures you attract into your garden sort everything out. The birds eat slugs and snails, ladybirds kill aphids. Yes, the birds will eat the ladybirds too, but that’s fine. As if you leave plenty of stalks and stems for them to over-winter in, and don’t use chemicals you’ll get more ladybirds.
Anyway, I’m digressing, horribly. The gist is give the bird feeders a good wash to make sure they don’t carry diseases and refill them. We did ours a few days ago and we’ve already seen our dear old friend the Spotted Woodpecker back on our patio. There can’t be a cheerier sight!
6. Sweet Peas
There are few plants which rival the sweet pea for scent. Furthermore, few sights compete with that of an old style wigwam of sweet peas – it’s a gardening classic.
To ensure an early crop of these beauties, some people do an autumn sowing of sweet peas. I haven’t bothered this year but if you have, and they’re in your greenhouse or on a windowsill indoors, now might be the time to pinch out their tips to encourage a bushier plant.
Indoor Gardening Jobs for December
I don’t talk a lot about indoor plants. But there are of course some indoor gardening jobs for December which are well worth doing. Adding these to your list also means you can keep gardening, even when it’s ‘hosing it down’ outside.
7. Increase Misting
If your central heating is now coming on, you need to increase the misting for your indoor plants. If you’ve the space and can be bothered, you could also stand them near a tray of water to increase the humidity around them. Don’t stand the plant in the tray of water as houseplants, with their roots permanently wet, will get root rot.
8. Decrease Watering and Tidying
Over winter you can dial down your indoor plant watering as they’re not in the growth season. I stick my finger deep into the soil, if it feels dry I water.
Whilst you’re looking at the surface of your potted plants, also remove any fallen leaves or dead flowers that are resting on the compost. As debris provides a breeding ground for pests.
9. Dust Leaves
It’s amazing how much dust collects on indoor plants’ leaves. Snake Plants are particularly prone to gather dust, but in my experience most of my houseplants have this problem. This dust affects their ability to absorb light, which is pretty disastrous for them in winter when light levels through windows are already diminished. So as one of your December gardening jobs wash down their leaves.
I use a cloth and tepid water. I do this very gently and pretty regularly during the year and still I end up having to change the water and rinse the cloth pretty frequently when doing it in December as there’s so much dust to remove. So if you’ve not done this with your plant before, give them a treat and do it this month. Support each leaf as you go and very gently wipe from the stem to the tip.
Some people even shower their plants off, but I’m not sure I’d manage this without spraying the whole bathroom! And I quite like taking care of the plants in a more gentle, hands on way. I find it very therapeutic.
I should caveat that there are certainly plants which won’t like being washed in a shower or with a cloth – African violets are one example, orchids another.
The reason for this is that these plants have leaves that are sensitive to moisture. When their leaves get wet, they go all splotchy and scar. So, for them, (and cacti), gently brush the dust off instead.
10. Thinking & Scheming!
The final one of my December gardening jobs is an odd one but I think it’s oh, so important.
Now is the perfect time to have a think and plan your garden. Look through old photos if it’s hard to recall things. Think about what has worked, what you did and didn’t like. What would you like to improve, and what will you not repeat? What jobs did you not get to? What should you have done more of? Is your garden working for you and your family? What tools need attention?
The reason why now is such a good time to do this is that you have a bit of gardening brain space. There are fewer jobs to do. Weeds aren’t relentlessly sprouting at speed. Things aren’t romping away. You have time to breath, regroup – and think.
It’s a joyous thing to do. And in these shorter, darker, wetter days I think we need all the joy we can get.
Happy December gardening – X