More than one person has written to ask, "My winter has been very mild and several plants that need dormant pruning don't seem to have gone dormant. Will it hurt them if I prune them now and if so, how long should I wait?"

This can be an ongoing problem for gardeners in warm climates, but it is also possible some plants won't go into complete dormancy in cold areas that experience mild winters. If that's the case for you, it's still best to prune before the new spurt of growth in the spring, rather than not pruning at all. I'd suggest waiting until you see the leaf buds beginning to swell and pruning then. That's when the plant is ready to burst into action. Pruning now could encourage the plant to start sending out new growth immediately and that tender new growth will be killed off when the weather hits a cold spell.

Those of you in warm winter areas get to prune most of your plants in December and January. The plants may never go dormant, but most do slow down and rest a bit. And the cooler, wetter season is kinder on plants than pruning in the dry heat of summer.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.

They're everywhere. Christmas trees seem to drop down in bulk, the minute you put down your fork on Thanksgiving Day. Traditional balsam and pines, fraser firs - and what the heck is a concolor? Whether you like to keep your tree around for months or just a couple of weeks, here are some tips on picking a fresh tree, choosing a tree with strong needles or fragrance and keeping it safe throughout the holidays.

Photo: Getty Images News / Sean Gallup.

Have a wonderful holiday and thank you all for sharing your time, your thoughts and your gardens with me, over the years. Happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are.

Photo: gnmills / stock.xchng.

It's that time of year when temperatures drop, heat kicks on and I get a lot of questions about houseplants losing their leaves. Plants don't really like living indoors all that much. If we want them to thrive there, we need to meet their required growing conditions. So the first thing to do is to research what your plant likes. Hopefully, you'll do that before you bring it home. If a plant needs direct sunlight and you can't provide it, that plant is never going to be happy and neither are you.

Many plants will drop leaves when you first bring them home because they are adjusting to their new surroundings. Try not to panic and fuss over the plant. Don't prune or feed your plants just yet and don't over water. Let the plant rest. Make sure it's getting as much light as it needs and check its humidity and temperature requirements. The air is very dry indoors, when the heat is on. You may need to mist your plant daily or provide a shallow tray of pebbles and water, for it to sit on. (Don't let the pot sit in the water. Make sure it sits on the pebbles, above the water line.)

And just because the heat is on and you're toasty by the fire, it doesn't mean that your plant is getting enough of that heat over by a drafty window. Plants can be very sensitive to drafts, especially when they first come out of the controlled greenhouse they were grown in.

If you can make your new plant feel at home, you should start to see new leaves emerging within 2-4 weeks. Start watering regularly at this point, but don't rush to feed it until the tender new begins starts to harden off.

Remember, all plants lose leaves at some point, especially older leaves. But if you notice sudden, substantial leaf drop, check these possible culprits:

• Too much or too little water.
• Low humidity. (Usually occurs with a change in environment)
• Pot bound plants will often drop their older leaves as new ones appear.
• A sudden chill or persistent draft or blast of heat.
• Leaves damaged by insects or disease.

Once you've identified the problem and fixed it, give your plant some time to recover on its own.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti