The Garden In December

December Garden

Any sunshine there is in December will be weak, but sunny days can be quite pleasant, and if you wrap up well, you can have a good day in the garden, digging or catching up with other clearing jobs.

STAR PLANT OF THE MONTH

Mahonia x media 'Charity'
An upright, bushy evergren shrub. Autumn to early spring, it bears long spikes of fragrant deep yellow flowers. It is ideal in a shrub border, woodland garden or as a specimen. Suits moist but well drained soil conditions.

December at a glance;

• Prune woody ornamental plants and fruit trees and bushes, and shred the prunings if possible
• Continue winter digging incorporating organic matter into the soil
• Spray fruit trees and also roses
• Prune ornamental vines and grape vines
• Sow alpine seeds
• Repair lawns in weather allows
• Lift and heel in celery for winter supplies
• Take care of pot plants to get the best from their winter display

The winter scene:

It is not a completley bleakmonth for colour in the garden. Plants like winter flowering heathers and jasminmum nudiflorum should be in flower throughout the month. Hamamelis mollis and iris unguicularis are others which can be relied upon to cheer up December. There should still be berries on trees and shrubs if the birds havent eaten them. Winter pruning of fruit trees is a satisfying job to be undertaken now. And its a good time to do any major pruning of ornamental deciduous trees and shrubs, not only because the plants are now dormant, but also with the leaves now off the plants its much easier to see what you are doing.

Plants for winter display:

Garden centres are now packed with winter flowering pot plants, and there is still a wide variety to choose from. In very cold weather make sure the plants are properly wrapped when you buy them. A good selection includes azaleas, poinsettias, winter cyclamen and solanum capsicastrum (winter cherry)