It’s December, Do You Know What That Means?

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Today is December 1st, 2011.  The first day of the last month of the year, do you know what that means?

Mockingbird on a Frosty Morning

Only 137 days left until our last frost date here in Middle Tennessee!!!  WOOHOO!

OK,
I sound completely ridiculous here but think about all the stuff that
has to get done before that planting date over the winter.  Seed
catalogs need drooled over, new plant introductions need perused, seeds
for planting in the garden need selected, garden beds need prepared,
weeds need weeded, seeds need planted, mulch needs put out, plants need
transplanted, hardwood cuttings need to be taken, and there are many, many more things I could list.

Here are few things for the Winter Garden To-Do List:

  • Finish moving plants around.  I have a red twig dogwood in a bad
    spot that needs a new home and several other plants that really could
    use better (less crowded) locations.  Remember that rule “right plant
    right place”? Well I didn’t!  
  • Finish bulb planting.  I mentioned on the Facebook page that I
    finally finished planting daffodils – that was before I bought crocuses,
    allium, Dutch irises,  and more daffodils at 50% off.  I habitually
    make more work for myself.
  • Decide what seeds I want to order this year.  I always try a few new things and replant seeds that did great.
  • Feed the birds!
  • Finish preparing the vegetable garden. 
  • Place more stone borders in the vegetable garden.  I added some stone block borders couple weeks ago but I would like to get the newly cleared Bermuda grass
    section set up with fancy stone borders. 
  • Weed the chickweed and henbit from the gardens. Anything else too that needs weeded.
  • Take hardwood cuttings of red twig dogwood, viburnum, butterfly bushes, and willows.  
  • Mulch, mulch, mulch.  I think I mention mulch monthly!
  • In mid February I’ll start seeds indoors for transplanting outside
    after the frost date.  Greens can be planted outside before the frost
    date as seeds so I won’t pre-start them indoors.

We always think of winter as a time for slowing down, for taking a break, but really winter is when everything starts!

4 thoughts on “It’s December, Do You Know What That Means?”

  2. Oh, Brother! ha. Well, you go ahead and count down. I'll watch. In the meantime, I love winter here in the mid-west. We get to take a REAL break and do other things (including planning for next year, etc.) lol Happy December to you!!

  4. I've scattered seeds that need a cold period out into the garden and am finishing bulb planting…I hope we have a few more warm days! gail

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