Cheer-up, Spring is just around the corner! 

For me, December marks the beginning of winter even though it technically doesn’t start until December 21.  Known as the winter solstice, December 21^st is the shortest day of the year.  While you might find that depressing, the good news is that starting December 22nd the days slowly get longer and longer.  The sun comes up 3 minutes earlier and sets 3 minutes later and before we know it, it’s light when we go to work and still light when we come home.  So cheer up, spring will be here before you know it! 

But just in case you are feeling a little down, I highly recommend you spend some time at your favorite nursery.   The reason is simple.  These places have assembled the best collection of winter interest plants you will find anywhere.  And because they are all portable, the clever people who work at these nurseries are constantly rearranging them to create stunning combinations that are guaranteed to lift your spirits and inspire you to greatness in your own yards.  I’ve said this many times, “If you are bored with your yard, chances are that your yard is just plain boring!”  With the huge palette of plants that we can grow in this northwest maritime climate, there simply is no excuse for not having an exciting yard 12 months a year.  The winter season should be no exception.

Believe it or not, this is still a good time to plant shrubs, trees, bulbs and perennials.  And what could lift the spirits more than bringing home a new little buddy from the local garden center and adding it to your garden family.  You would be amazed at what is blooming this time of year.  On the north side of my house is a Viburnum “Dawn” that has been blooming for a month now and will continue throughout the winter to display its delicate pink blooms that sweetly perfume that side of my garden.  Equally happy in sun or shade, “Dawn” is easy to grow.  Its foliage is richly textured during the season and displays stunning fall color before shedding its leaves.  Its bare branches give way to clusters of flowers that seem to keep reincarnating on the twigs well into late winter.

Fall blooming camellias, hellebores, witch hazels, skimmia and Sarcococca are just a few of the many plants that bloom in the winter season of the northwest.  These winter bloomers are what I call my “winter pick-me-ups” and they will do the same for you if you have them growing in your garden.  And don’t forget that flowers aren’t the only source for winter interest.  Bark can be colored, shiny or textured and berries come in all sorts of colors from white to black and everything in between.  Foliages can also be shiny or dull, smooth or rough, black or white and also everything in between.  By contrasting the textures and colors of plants, you can create some visual excitement that will keep you going through these gray days of winter.  The next day it’s not pouring, head on down to the garden center and get inspired.  You won’t be buying plants, you will be buying attitude and planting good feelings. To plant a plant is to believe in tomorrow.

So now that I have dispensed some horticultural wisdom, here is my very short list of December chores. 

LAWNS:  Get all the leaves off, fertilize and lime and stay off until you have to mow it.  Observe where the water puddles during this raining season and plan on making some corrections in drainage in the spring.

ROSES:   Get that mulch on them before we get an arctic blast.  Remove all the leaves and prune them “hip high” for now.  Yank out the ones you were disappointed with and start looking for replacement varieties in the new rose catalogues. 

BULBS:  Believe it or not, you can still plant bulbs.  Plant ten bucks of bulbs now and you will get twenty bucks of enjoyment in spring.  It’s a great investment.

FLOWER BEDS:  Get all the leaves cleaned up and spread a tidy layer of mulch to insulate the soil, suppress weed growth and make things look spiffy.  For heaven’s sake, throw away the geraniums even if they still look good.  Plant some bulbs and pansies now for a kick-off of the spring season.

CONIFERS:  That’s what we nursery types call needle-leafed evergreens like pines, firs, spruces, junipers, etc.  This is a great time of the year to select them for winter color and interest.  Most nurseries keep a good selection of conifers throughout the winter season.  Don’t think that all conifers grow up to be huge forest trees. There are thousands of varieties that are perfectly suited for our smaller yards. 

CONTAINERS:  You don’t have to live with an empty container all winter long.  Fill them up with hardy shrubs, evergreen perennials and early blooming bulbs.