By Thomasville Garden Club Inc.

Winter begins on Dec. 21 at 6:03 pm Eastern Daylight Time. At that time, the North Pole is tilted its farthest from the sun (23.5 degrees), resulting in the sun reaching its most southern declination — directly over the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere. This is called the Winter Solstice and it is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Many people are happy that the weather has turned colder. It does feel more seasonal, now that Christmas is right around the corner. We have already experienced frosts, but we can also experience temperatures that are unseasonably mild, even into the 70s. Just be prepared for almost anything during our winters.

Freeze protection

After this column was published last month, Cathy Campbell caught me in my yarden, trying, and failing (as usual), to catch up on everything that needed to be done. She suggested that I repeat my suggestions from the past about things to do in anticipation of our first freeze. Although it is actually too late now, I am going to mention a few things anyway.

If a freeze is forecast, water all of your plants and trees well to help prevent damage.

It is a good idea to have some heavy material or cardboard boxes on hand to use to cover tender garden plants on frosty nights. It is best to provide cover before dusk. After dark, much of the heat stored in the garden has already been lost. Sharon Chastain always recommended that we mulch our winter bloomers by covering them with pine straw if the temperature drops down around 30 degrees. If the temperature happens to go even lower, she suggested a cover of cloth or plastic. Cloth can be placed directly on top of plants but if you use plastic, be certain not to let any of it come into direct contact with the leaves of your plants — if necessary, you can drive a few stakes around your plants, to completely hold up the plastic. Remove all covering, as soon as the weather moderates and before the sun hits them or the plants beneath will “cook.”

Make sure your outdoor faucets are covered to protect them from freezing.

If you have not done so, protect your hose from freezing and bursting. Stretch it out with both ends open, to allow the water to drain completely. Coil it up and put it away until you need to use it.

December color

Our fabulous Japonica Camellias, the winter camellia, are in bloom now and the Sasanquas, our autumn camellias, are still blooming.

I am always delighted by the colorful berries of ardesias, hollies, nandinas and pyracanthas. They seem so Christmassy, as do Bradford pear trees when their leaves turn from green to dark red.

The bright, bold and varied colors of ornamental kale add happy touches to pots and beds.

Tea olives should flower off and on throughout the winter, depending on the cold.

Unless killed by freezes, dianthus, pansies, petunias and snapdragons should remain colorful for our enjoyment throughout the winter.

Planting

Most trees and shrubs can be planted this month. In fact, it is far better to plant them now than in June, July or August because heat is far more stressful on new plants than cold is. Although we can usually expect a bit more rainfall this month than in October and November, do not ignore the watering needs of your plants, especially new ones. Evergreens especially need regular watering, even in cold weather. Walter Reeves, “The Georgia Gardener,” says to apply 1 gallon per foot of height.

Walter Reeves also says that Bermuda sod can be planted now but it needs to be watered regularly for the rest of winter to keep it from drying out.

Our USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is 8b. We can grow collards, kale, leeks, parsley, parsnips and scallions all winter.

Early this month, plant a large pot of hardy greens (lettuces, kale, mustard, mesclun mix, spinach, Swiss chard, etc.) with nasturtiums cascading over the side. There is a huge array of colorful lettuces with unique leaf shapes to create great interest. You will not only enjoy it as a pretty addition to your patio, but you can eat the greens AND the nasturtiums, as well. Cover the pot if frost is predicted.

To do

Continue collecting mulch materials such as pine straw to use in your beds. Remember to pull mulch at least six inches away from tree trunks because the mulch holds moisture against the trunk. This permits fungi to grow, eat through the bark and cause trees to die.

Collect leaves for composting. Chop and turn the compost at least twice during the winter months to prepare it for spring.

Collect wood ashes from fireplaces or wood stoves and store them in a dry place, such as a metal garbage can. In the spring, they can be spread thinly over your lawn as a quick-release fertilizer to add a little phosphorus and potassium and to counteract acidic soil.

Do not leave containers of liquid bug spray and weed killer outdoors in winter. Store them in a safe place indoors. Freezing can cause chemicals to lose their potency. 

Prune short stubs and dead limbs from trees now that all of their leaves are gone and you can see imperfections.

You may prune hollies, magnolias and other evergreens – then you can use the cuttings to decorate for the holidays.

Magnolia leaves will turn a beautiful, rich brown and keep indefinitely if you stand the branches in a solution of 1/3 glycerin and 2/3 water for several weeks so the solution can be absorbed enough to make the leaves soft and pliable.

Don’t forget to keep your bird feeder filled. Most bird experts recommend black oil sunflower seed for general feeding, while thistle seed and suet cakes will attract birds you might not have seen before. You will be rewarded with hours of amusement and lots of colorful activity all winter.

Also, keep at least one hummingbird feeder filled during the winter. Although the ruby-throated hummer is the only one that nests in Georgia, nine species of hummingbirds can be seen in our state: ruby-throated, black-chinned, Anna’s, broad-tailed, broad-billed, rufous, magnificent, calliope and Allen’s. Most of the hummingbirds seen in Georgia during the winter months are western visitors heading along their migration routes. The possibility is great that if a wintering hummer visits a feeder this year, it might return next year. 

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, during one winter, more than 100 rufous hummers were documented in Georgia. Another documented winter resident is the colorful calliope, the smallest bird found in the U.S. Georgians who sight any of the unusual hummingbird species that migrate through Georgia in winter months are encouraged to contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Nongame Conservation Section, in Forsyth at 1-478-994-1438. Wouldn’t it be fabulous to be the first person to report a rare hummingbird in Georgia?

O Christmas Tree

Decorated evergreen trees are a significant tradition to most of us. My parents bought our family tree on Christmas Eve. They erected and decorated it and prepared a village beneath it after we children went to bed that night. I cannot imagine the stress of that! Then, between breakfast and lunch on New Year’s Eve, everyone helped dismantle and box the village, remove and box all tree decorations, the nightmare of organizing the strings of lights was completed, and everything was stored in the attic. The tree was taken outside to be burned a few days later. Sadly, we did not have very long to enjoy our lovely Christmas tree.

There are many accounts of the development of the tradition of decorating Christmas trees but I will report only the things that I think are most interesting.

Ancient Romans are credited with being the first to decorate trees with small pieces of metal during their winter festival in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture.

Some historians maintain that Martin Luther is the first to light an indoor tree, in the 16th century, by using candles to imitate the stars glowing through the branches of an evergreen tree.

The oldest written record of a decorated Christmas tree came from a 1605 diary found in Strasburg (then in Germany; now in France). The tree was decorated with paper roses, apples and different candies.

During the 17th and 18th centuries in Austria and Germany, the tops of evergreens were cut and hung upside down in a living room corner. They were adorned with apples, nuts and strips of red paper. I found this amusing to read because I thought it was a silly fad of recent vintage.

In America, Moravians in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, used wooden pyramids covered with evergreen branches and decorated with candles. Hessian troops decorated trees during the War of Independence. Decorated Christmas trees became fashionable in the mid-eighteen hundreds in Williamsburg, Virginia; until then, it was thought to be just a quaint foreign custom. Franklin Pierce was the first president to have a Christmas tree in the White House. The first national Christmas tree was lighted by President Calvin Coolidge on the White House lawn in 1923.

Today, more than 30 million live Christmas trees are sold each year. More than 70 million evergreen trees are planted each year. These trees grow for about 15 years before they are cut and sold. Therefore, the tree that you purchase this year was probably planted in 1999.

Blessings

Thomasville Garden Club,Inc. hopes that you will take time during this busy season to enjoy the abundant beauty of nature that surrounds us here in south Georgia every day. We wish you and yours every blessing during the holidays and in the year to come.

Pat Pankey writes this column for Thomasville Garden Club Inc. as a service to the community. Thomasville Garden Club Inc. welcomes new members. If you are interested, contact any current member or Membership Chair Jane Delarber at 226-4708.  The Garden Center has a library of books about gardening which are available not only to garden club members but to the general public. To access the library or to visit the Garden Center, contact Ann McKinnon at 226-5291 (the Garden Center telephone number) or any current member.

You may contact Carla Inman at 226-8630 if you are interested in renting the Garden Center for an event. The Garden Center is always open to the public on the Wednesday before the first Friday of every month, September through May.