Florida Garden Checklist
Texas Garden Checklist

Christmas Flowers
There are lots of choices for blooms to brighten your home during the holidays. Amaryllis (shown at right) is one of the best. These easy bulbs will provide weeks of elegant blossoms. Christmas cactus, a favorite pass-along, comes in a rainbow of colors and makes a great gift for friends. Kalanchoes and cyclamen also offer blooms that will last for weeks. Their pinks, whites, and reds work well with holiday hues. All like bright, indirect light. Water plants carefully, and provide good drainage. They should never sit in saucers of water. The favorite of all Christmas flowers is the poinsettia. Its beautiful blooms will greet the season in a vivid show of color. To learn more about caring for your poinsettias and using them as cut flowers, see After the holidays, repot in slightly larger containers. Keep them indoors in bright, indirect light. Add them to your garden after danger of frost has passed.

• Living Christmas trees--If you can't bear the thought of cutting down a tree, then a living one may be for you. Pick a containerized spruce, hemlock, white pine, or fir if you live in the Upper or Middle South. Virginia pine, Eastern red cedar, Leyland cypress, and Japanese cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica) work well in the Lower and Coastal South. Keep the tree well watered, and leave it inside for no more than 10 days. You can then plant it outside as long as the ground is not frozen.
• Topiaries--Maidenhair vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa), rosemary, and English ivy that have been clipped or trained onto frames can be bought at nurseries, garden centers, or grocery stores. Water them well, and let drain. Check daily to make sure they don't dry out.
• Greenery--Pine, magnolia, boxwood, and holly cuttings will last longer as decorations if you soak stems in a bucket of water overnight to hydrate the leaves, needles, and stems. Remove from the pail, and let air-dry before using.
• Irrigation--If you keep your automatic irrigation system on year-round, now is a good time to adjust the amount of watering during each cycle. Many dormant plants and lawns require less water in the colder months. A good rule of thumb is to reduce each station's flow by half when nighttime temperatures stay in the forties or below. Install a rain sensor, or turn the system off during wet periods to prevent overwatering.
• Winter solstice--December 21 marks the end of fall and the start of winter. This is one of the best times of the year to garden in the South. The heat, the weeds, and the bugs are on sabbatical, so take advantage of the cool days.