December can be a time at the backyard. Most of us are busy with different things, so the timing is great. However, there’s much to appreciate, and some tending to take care of. Here is some of what we are doing in our Southeast December gardens.
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Indoor plants. Rosemary topiaries are commonly available today from nurseries, garden centers, big-box shops and grocery shops.
They create an excellent seasonal screen, providing aroma and decor for the tabletop indoors or in a container out.
If kept outdoors, protect from freezing the very first year. Potted rosemary may quickly dry out. Keep your eye on this. That should not be a problem as you’ll be passing by often for a snip for cooking.
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Bulbs. Amaryllis abound during the holidays. With colors including whites, strips, reds and pinks, there’s sure to be a shade to assist you celebrate the season.
This spectacular bulb makes an perfect present. When handling the bulb, then be cautious to not break delicate roots.
Select a pot large enough to allow an inch of potting soil around the sides of the bulb. Plant your amaryllis in potting soil, leaving about an inch of the neck exposed above the ground level. Water well, and place the potted bulb close to a window with bright light. In low light, the stem will grow tall and weak, losing the capacity to hold the flower heads without staking.When the flowers fade, treat amaryllis as one of your houseplants. Fertilize with comparable analysis or 20-20-20. Remember, the foliage must develop to replenish the food reserves from the bulb.After the treat of frost, you can plant your amaryllis from the backyard.
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Bird care. Recall that the birds. I really tend to my bird buddies year old — it gives me a lot of pleasure. They add a lot to the backyard and to the gardener’s pleasure.
Be sure to offer a continual source of seed, suet and water. Did you know that a bird is three times more likely to die from lack of water in winter than lack of food? Break the ice, if need be.
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Pests. Check camellias and other evergreen shrubs for signs of scale insects on the back of the leaves.
Dormant oil spray on the leaves and stems is an effective control.
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Pruning. Late December is a good time to prune apple, cherry and peach trees. It is also time to cut back grape vines.
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Decorating. Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Whip out those clippers and look around the backyard.
There’s so much to use to include festive all-natural adornments to your home, both indoors and outside.
December is a prime time to prune evergreens anyway. Burford, Foster and Nelly Stevens hollies usually have good color in their berries today.
Recut the stems at an angle and fit them in a bucket of warm water for several hours to condition before using.
Boxwood, ligustrum and aucuba will also be great for holiday decorating.
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Trees and shrubs. That you still have time to plant trees and shrubs, provided that the ground hasn’t frozen or is not likely to freeze in the next few days.
Mulch your trees and shrubs, being careful to keep it away from your trunks.
Water on a weekly basis from the lack of rain or other precipitation. Planting now allows the roots a opportunity to come up with and withstand the heat of following summer.
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Winter color. Add color in your backyard with pansies, violas and other cool-season annuals. Dig and divide summer and spring perennials, and water well before and after dividing.