The downtown businesses and volunteers have been very busy these past weeks decorating for the holidays. We hope you take the time to visit downtown in the evening to enjoy the decorations.
We have been replanting the pots that were damaged by the first cold spell. We planted Pansies. Blue Mealy Sage is being planted in the front flower beds at City Hall.
Have you harvested your warm weather crops, peppers, squash and beans? To avoid freezing? Even if the produce is small, it will be worth the picking because the vegetables are so tender. If tomatoes are a decent size but not ripe they can be brought inside and placed on a cabinet or window sill and they will ripen. Continue to harvest the tender leaves of cool season greens, such as spinach, lettuce and turnips.
Continue to protect the tender transplants from being damaged by cold and freezing weather. Use Row cover, buckets, cans or anything available.
Onion plants are in the nurseries now. Most gardeners have better luck with little plants than little bulbs.
If you want to do heavy trimming and pruning on hedges and shrubs, this is the time of year, December January and February. Water, fertilize and mulch the pruned plants.
I hope you have fertilized your lawn and landscape at this time. You may still fertilize if you use an organic fertilizer. It won’t burn but it only works when the water is added to the landscape. The fall is the most important feeding of the year and then feed again in the Spring. If you can add a layer of compost to your lawn you’ll be happy with the results.
Plant bare-root roses, fruit trees and shrubs.. Seed California Poppy, Hollyhock, Nasturtium and Sweet peas. Check with your favorite nursery concerning available veggie transplants. Feed all blooming plants with Rose Glow. It will increase the number of blooms.
Trim roses and take cuttings. Feed them, water and mulch. Wait until February to prune them severely.
Looking for Christmas gifts for friends and family? Remember garden art, decorative pots, gift certificates, and gardening tools. Gardeners always welcome these items.
I hope you didn’t miss the snow sled fun, in Bindseil Park this past Saturday. It was quite a sight to see the children and adults sliding down the snow-covered hill to the Byars tree.
Merry Christmas,
KBB and Judy Dorsett
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