December Gardening

• Begin seeding broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, and impatiens in cold frames for later transplants. Here's how to construct a cold frame: make a square frame with four wooden boards; plant your seeds inside the frame; at night, cover the top of the frame with a piece of glass; in the morning, remove the glass and let the sun do its handiwork; you can transplant your plants later.
• Fertilize pansies and spring-flowering perennials with a fertilizer high in Phosphorous (the middle number in the three-part ratio--Ex: 5-10-5)
• Plan your garden for spring! Do you know what you're going to plant yet?
• Concentrate on indoor gardening for the holidays. Wreaths and garlands provide greenery, while cyclamen, poinsettias, and orchids can add beautiful color throughout your home. Scent your home also with herbs - rosemary, lavender, sweet bay, santolina, myrtle, and thyme.
• Bring container plants inside for the cold weather. Stock up on plastic saucers so your carpet and floors aren't ruined from watering. Also, try using plant jacks. These are trays used in addition to the saucers. Saucers still allow condensation to seep into the carpet or floor. Plant jacks prevent moisture from causing any damage.