HOLIDAY MONTH
December might be the “least garden-ish” month of the year, unless you count hauling a tree into your living room to adorn with tinsel. The yews are wrapped with burlap like presents and the bulbs tucked into the soil, there is nothing left on our garden “to-do” list. Except that tree, if you haven’t found one yet, and a bit of shopping.
| Ben's son, Peter, choosing a Christmas tree. | |
Shopping can feel like a misguided way to show our loved ones how much we care, but opting out can send the wrong message too.
Here are our suggestions for that gardener on your list, or perhaps some suggestions to pass along if you are the gardener on someone’s list.
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A GARDENER'S CHRISTMAS LIST
Garden Experiences are the ultimate inspiration. Look up local garden tours happening annually, such as Through the Garden Gate in Toronto (hosted by the Toronto Botanical Garden), and offer to take the gardener in your life in 2024. Having something to look forward to can help get us through the winter doldrums. If you have upcoming trips planned, look up public gardens and consider adding it to your itinerary.
We are always surprised by great gardens in unlikely places. For the thousands of Canadians heading south this winter, we highly recommend the Springs Preserve Botanical Garden in Las Vegas (https://www.springspreserve.org/explore/botanical-garden.html), Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota (https://selby.org/), or Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville (https://cheekwood.org/).
Memberships to public gardens such as the Toronto Botanical Garden provide member-benefits such as discounts to courses and events, but also helps support these valuable spaces for the greater good.
Plant Materials in the form of a gift card pair well with inspirational garden materials (see below), and we can assure you that your local garden center or small nursery are happy for the help on their cashflow at this time of year. Consider planning a spring day trip to the countryside to visit the growing number of small specialist nurseries, such as Not So Hollow Farm in Mulmur outside Toronto, where you could add on lunch in Creemore.
|  | Visit the new giant terrarium at Toronto Botanical Garden. | |
Good Reading Material
- A Sub-list
Most gardeners we know are avid readers, as it is a pastime that works in perfect harmony with the gardening “off-season”. Therefore we have a few suggestions in this category. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of material available online for our consumption, but shifting our attention away from the sea of social media content to editorialized material has been rewarding for us of late. With the precious time we have available for reading, it is worthwhile to invest in quality of content. Here is what we have been enjoying:
- Harrowsmith consistently serves top quality Canadian content spanning Gardening, Food, Home Improvement, Environment, and Life – not just because we are contributors. Available in print or online format, Harrowsmith is the type of publication that gets picked up again and again as there is something for everybody in the household. We recommend leaving it on the coffee table. We note the special offer below from Harrowsmith Magazine. Literally, 50% off the list price of an amazing publication. We highly recommend the garden - related stories (as we are the garden editors!). The recipes and other seasonal stories are darn good too.
- Canada’s Local Gardener magazine always packs a punch with its blend of inspiring Canadian garden features and useful How-To. A subscription to their 4-times annual print edition is a bargain at $35.85/year and would be welcomed by any avid Canadian gardener. (https://www.localgardener.ca/index.php/subscriptions/print/1-year-subscription-4-issues)
- The Gardener’s Journal should be an annual commitment by now, in its 32nd edition. As with many good habits, keeping a garden journal becomes more valuable the longer it is maintained, and the Gardener’s Journal by sisters Helen and Sarah Battersby is the ultimate guide. (https://gardenjournals.ca/)
- A good garden design book will provide ample inspiration from the reading chair through the winter months. Ben’s recent favourite is The Wild Garden Expanded Edition by William Robinson and Rick Darke. Originally published in 1870, William Robinson was one of the first garden designers to challenge the formal design style that dominated the day. This updated version by American Rick Darke was published in 2009 and is a useful guide for gardeners who are struggling to make “ecological” gardens appear more intentional or fitting against an estblished backdrop, such as Ben’s 100 year old house.
-The Tree Line: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth, by Ben Rawlence. Mark was glued to this book. An eye opening account of tree life on the edge.
A Hori-Hori knife is an endlessly useful tool for the gardener who has everything. Look for a high quality model from Japan for added satisfaction cutting through tough soil and roots. (https://knifewear.com/products/bonsai-hori-hori-knife)
Thank you for reading our newsletter and recommending it. Your trust in us means everything.
With best wishes.
Mark and Ben Cullen
Merchants of Beans and Beauty
Markcullen.com
Cullensfoods.com
Foodandsheltergoods.com
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THANK YOU
Not to be forgotten is the outstanding support that you, our newsletter readers, have provided to Trees For Life.
Many of you have donated your hard earned to help us plant trees to honour Canadian health care workers and first responders. We plant not only for them but to clean our air and create shade in our urban environments for our children and grandchildren.
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Your support is not taken for granted, not for one minute.
Writing this newsletter and enjoying our long time relationship with you, our readers, is a privilege for us.
Sincerely,
Mark and Ben
| GARDEN THINGS TO DO IN DECEMBER |  | |
Save your real Christmas tree to stand in your garden for the winter. Hang suet on it and let the birds forage.
Apply Wilt-pruf to broadleaved evergreens like boxwood, holly and the like to prevent winter desiccation (apply when temperatures are above freezing). Use Wilt-Pruf on your Christmas tree to help it retain moisture longer.
Start amaryllis bulbs now for blooms in the New Year.
Pick up a Poinsettia plant to brighten your holiday home. Poinsettias may be popular in the winter but they cannot stand freezing temperatures. In the walk from the store to the car, be sure to wrap your plant in a plastic bag. A good store will provide you with cold protection, no questions asked. Choose a bright room in the house but do not place the poinsettia in direct light.
Remove the decorative wrapping (it looks good but it hinders proper air flow and water drainage). Unlike many other plants, the poinsettia's soil will need to stay slightly moist. Watering will depend heavily on your home's climate.
Cyclamen is another great winter plant that is often forgotten. This delicate flower-producing plant is a winter treat. Temperature and water are the most important factors in keeping a cyclamen healthy. Ideally, temperatures don't go below 4°C or above 20°C. Proper watering is essential. They are a bit fussy. Always water from below and water thoroughly. Leave the plant sitting in water for about 15 minutes.
Remove and allow excess water to drain away. Too much water, or water on the surface, can cause mouldy soil and stem rot. Fertilizing is moderate: half-strength fertilizer for flowering plants will do the trick. No more frequently than once every two months.
If indoor tropical plants begin to lose leaves do not become alarmed. Many, especially those that were out of door all summer, are reacting to the lowest sunlight of the year (our shortest day is Dec. 20th).
In time, most tropical plants will grow back new leaves that look better than the old ones!. Be patient and do not overwater in the mean time. All leafy tropical plants need to become dry about 2 to 3 cm below the soil surface between water applications this time of year.
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BIRDS IN FOCUS:
Take part in the Christmas Bird Count
- a Birding Tradition
By: Jody Allair
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You could argue that any time of year is a good time to go birding. But there is something special that happens each December, no not the arrival of presents under a tree, I’m talking about Christmas Bird Count season. The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is an annual winter birding tradition that began in 1900, making it North America’s longest-running Citizen Science project. Participating is a fun way to experience winter birding and socialize with fellow birders in your community!
Each year, volunteer groups complete over 2000 counts across the Western Hemisphere. Each count takes place on a day from December 14 to January 5. Last year in Canada alone, 15,000 participants counted 2.8 million individual birds in almost 500 counts across the country. Many CBCs have been run by volunteer groups for decades, contributing valuable data on local, regional, and national trends and distributions of winter bird populations. The information collected by thousands of volunteer participants forms one of the world's largest sets of wildlife survey data. The results are used frequently by conservation biologists and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds..
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Redbreasted Nuthatch
Photo credit: Jody Allair
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Want to learn more about the CBC, why it matters, and how to get involved? Join our Free Christmas Bird Count in Canada webinar on December 7th, co-hosted by me and Yousif Attia, Coordinator of the CBC in Canada. We will go through a brief history of the CBC, take a look at what the CBC has taught us about bird populations, demonstrate how you can get involved, and share stories about our CBC experiences! Everyone is welcome, whether you’re already involved in the CBC or other programs like the Great Backyard Bird Count or Project FeederWatch, or you’re totally new to volunteer-based science, this webinar will have something for everyone.
To learn more and to find a CBC count near you visit the Birds Canada’s website at: birdscanada.org/volunteer/cbc.
Good Birding!
Jody Allair
Director, Community Engagement
Birds Canada
Social media: @JodyAllair
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TREES FOR LIFE - Champions Spotlight | |
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In the most recent newsletter from Trees for Life, they featured our good friend Corporal Nick Kerr.
We encourage you to read Nick’s inspiring story of healing through tree planting.
https://www.treesforlife.ca/champions-list/corporal-nick-kerr
Thank you, Nick. For your support and dedication to helping us plant trees where Canadians live, work and play.
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With a focus on sustainability, nature, gardening, home cooking, astronomy, slow travel and DIY projects, Harrowsmith brings together communities of like-minded individuals who share a passion for living closer to the land and living well.
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