What's Going on in the Garden
JanuaryTo Do List
Recycle the Christmas tree!
Enjoy the tree post Christmas season, use it as a shelter/feeder for birds and other wildlife. Tie the tree to a deck or a living tree near a window so you can watch all the action. The branches will provide shelter from cold and strong winds. Enjoy a second round of Christmas tree decorating by "decorating" the branches with slices of fruit, suet, strings of cranberries and seed cakes. Dangle peanut butter smeared pinecones along the tree’s limbs. With such a smorgasbord of delicacies, you will have hours of fun watching birds and small mammals dart in and out of the tree for a snack.
Other uses for a Christmas tree: You can use the branches to cover weather sensitive plants in the yard. The pine needles can be stripped from the tree and used to cover muddy paths. You can chip the trunk as well to use a raw mulch to cover paths and beds.
If you have a compost pile, you can certainly compost your own tree. Be aware that when composting Christmas trees, if you leave them in large pieces, the tree will take ages to break down. It is better to cut up the tree into small lengths or, if possible, shred the tree and then toss it in the pile. Also, when composting Christmas trees, it would be beneficial to strip the tree of its needles, as they are tough and, thus, resistant to composting bacteria, slowing the entire process.
Take a well deserved rest! The holidays are over & the garden is sleeping. Time to sit back and rest for a bit. Maybe try a fun indoor project like Pressing Flowers.
Your rest won't last long however - It's Seed Catalog Time! Time to take stock of the seeds you have and dream of the possibilities for the next growing season!