December's Decorations from the Garden

Now that the last forkful of pumpkin pie is just a memory, we know what has arrived: December, and the holidays. 

In December, there are holiday ignorers: “Oh, I never send cards.” There are those who subscribe to the “slow holidays” movement, knitting handmade stockings and checking in on their sourdough starters. And then there are holiday hysterical people who just can’t seem to stop: “There’s not enough time… too much to do!” 

Now, I don’t have a sourdough starter doing its thing in the kitchen, even though I love the idea of a “slow Christmas”, and I surely do like to send a card or ten. I feel closest to the holiday hysterical folks. I find that each December weekend is packed, and much as I dream of preparing year-round, I’m always running around for this thing or that in December. But busy as other aspects of life are, the December garden does not add to the busyness.

The December garden is not without some birdsong and the bustling sound of squirrels doing their late-in-the-season tasks. Animals remain busy in the garden. But the December garden doesn’t require much of us human gardeners. Sure, there are things that are nice to do for the garden in December. But, for us, December is definitely not a month in which make-or-break tasks are the majority. If you need to focus your efforts on other parts of your life—indoor decorating, crossing off items from gift lists—it’s okay. The December garden expects little from the gardener. It assumes a backseat, taking what attention we can give it, but being fine without much attention at all.

So, what should gardeners do in December? 

1. In warm climates, you can sit back and enjoy. In cold climates, you will want to empty, clean, and pull in your ceramic planters. Freeze-and-thaw wreaks havoc on these pricey garden items, and leaving them out means you’ll inevitably get a crack in your plant pot, or worse yet, a pile of pieces by the time spring rolls around. Because it is the expansion caused by the freezing that results in breakage, you might get away with tipping over your empty and clean plant pots, setting them atop something that will not touch soil or snow, and covering this assembly with a tarp. This decreases the chance that they will absorb water and freeze. But I still don’t trust that this will help you avoid cracks completely. Instead, take in your planters.
2. You can rake your yard’s leaves and haul them away, you can mulch them and return them to the soil to make it better, or you can find a way to corral them so that they cover only your garden beds to provide a layer of winter protection. 
3. You can and must do your last spring-flowering bulb planting, ensuring that your December garden will develop into an explosion of color when spring arrives. As long as you can dig your bulbs into the soil, you’re probably okay… but truth being told, you are quite late. This is a task requiring your attention, PRONTO!
4. And my favorite by far: You can forage for attractive plant material and decorate with what you collect. The December garden has some plants appearing in stick form, while evergreens supply color that the best holiday decorations find it hard to achieve. Pull up some of the sticks, gather some loose birch bark that has fallen to the ground, and snip the prettiest of the greenery. In this, the season of the decorated house, your garden will come through, yet again, as the provider of exactly what you need.

Related to #4, above, I have just begun to forage in the December garden for evergreen boughs, especially those with cones or berries. In the past, I have made my own wreaths using cut boughs, wire, and a wire frame. This year, I found a method that is better, as it is so much easier and results in a fuller look. I took pre-made fresh wreaths from the grocery store—simple, without even a bow—and adorned them with cuttings from my yard. My hinoki cypress, which would not have been pruned otherwise, had been trimmed to make way for a small construction project in part of the yard. Its branches, with small, round cones that remind me of tiny jingle bells, added some texture and color to the green base of the store-bought wreath. Then came the more visible addition of juniper boughs with countless gray-blue berries. Berries aren’t the wisest option for adorning something that is meant to last a month or more, but juniper berries tend to stay put, not falling to the ground. What a treat to see those on the wreath. And holly… well, I haven’t added it yet, not wanting to take it out of the December garden because I love the sight of the red berries outdoors on the shrub… but I will add it. Holly berries also tend not to drop, making holly the perfect Christmas addition we all know it to be.

The foraged branches can be tucked into the store-bought base, or if your wreath will have to withstand windy conditions, you might wire them in. I did the latter. Green floral wire is easy to find online, as is ribbon for extra adornment. And as you will see in what I have pictured, I added seed lights—the tiny LED lights on strings that are available all over the online marketplace. I would not recommend using the lights, as their battery power runs out quickly, and you’re left with wires and nothing more. Live and learn.

If you or your friends are celebrating holidays other than (or in addition to) Christmas—Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice—forage for slender birch branches and twigs with berries that you can place upright, slightly diagonal, in all-weather pots for a doorstep display that welcomes winter. There’s no end to what you can do with gifts from the December garden.

Don’t get stressed. December…. We will be okay. We’ll get it all done. Your garden is giving you a little break from being its caretaker. Instead, it will take care of you with bounty that you can use for decorating. Enjoy!