December Gardening Jobs

The months have slipped by so quickly that Christmas is upon us once again. We hope that this years gardening tips and advice have produced some green fingers amongst our readers!

While some our of our attention is drawn to Christmas Shopping and Festive Cheer let’s not neglect our outdoor space, there are still odd jobs to do in December!

Protect your tender plants

Very tender plants, for example, Lemon Trees should be brought into a covered area now – a conservatory or porch or a frost free greenhouse. Cover half hardy plants with mulch to protect them. For longer plants get the frost fleece out!

Feed the Birds

As the weather gets colder, the birds will be running out of resources, so its important to start feeding them. Vary the food you put out, mixed seed, nyger seeds, fat balls and peanuts will attract different types of birds into the garden. Ensure the water in the bird bath does not freeze over.

Clean Up

Clear gutters and drains, remove fallen leaves from the garden and insulate outdoor taps with lagging to prevent freezing.

With Best Wishes for the Festive Season and New Year from all at the Garden Pavilion.

Poinsettia (Eurphoria pulcherrima) The Traditional Christmas Flower

Most people are familiar with the Poinsettia plant at Christmas time. Their showy red bracts make them ideal for decorating the house and they also make a great gift.

A beautiful story is told of Peptita, a poor Mexican girl, who had no gift to give the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve mass. As she walked mournfully to the church her cousin Pedro tried to comfort her by saying, “even the most humble of gifts once given in love will always be accepted by him”.

Peptita gathered a bunch of weeds from the roadside, for this was the only gift she could offer. As she approached the crib her mood lifted. Forgetting how humble her gift was, she laid the weeds at the base of the manger. Suddenly, the ordinary weeds burst into brilliant red blooms. This miraculous event was named ‘Flores de Noche Buena’, or ‘Flowers of the Holy Night’. We call these flowers Poinsettia.

To care for your Poinsettia

Keep your Poinsettia in a bright spot in your house where it will receive indirect sunlight. Poinsettias do not like to be cold so keep them warm and out of cold draughts. Allow to slightly dry before watering and never leave the plant standing in water.