Marie's Gardening Blog December 2007 Archive

A few years back, weeping trees were the darlings of the gardening world and no landscape was complete without one (or sometimes many). There’s no denying they are eye ... Read More

One of the first questions gardeners ask other gardeners is “What zone are you?” This is no simple tree-hugging term. Your gardening zone determines what plants will ... Read More

Starting plants from seed is a lot of fun, but it’s not so much fun to watch them wither and die shortly after germination. (Trust me.) One way ... Read More

Here's a question DGato asked on the About Gardening Forum and it's probably crossed you mind once or twice, when you received a particularly nice cut rose. "Can store-bought ... Read More

You don’t often think about holidays being created, but that’s just what happened 40 years ago when Dr. Maulana Karenga celebrated the first Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa has its origins in ... Read More

Best wishes to everyone. May your days be merry and bright.

Do you ever wonder how some of our Christmas decorations came to be such traditions. What on earth possessed someone to say, “Let’s bring a tree indoors and drape ... Read More

I wrote recently about watering your paperwhites with alcohol to get them to grow sturdier and not fall over. Well Harry Brindley, over at slappHappe, gave it a ... Read More

Just about one year ago, I first posted this photo gallery of winter gardens. I was reminded of it last month, when I asked if winter interest ... Read More

Mulching may not be on your list of things to do this time of year, if you live in a cold climate. But you might want to rethink that. ... Read More

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 ... Read More

Let's face it, whether it's hollyhocks or hot peppers, none of us can resist stashing away a few pods full of ripe seeds from the plants we’re particularly fond of. ... Read More

While many of us are skating down the sidewalk, it’s nice to be reminded that some lucky gardeners are gearing up to prune the roses. Natasha Levitan walks us ... Read More

For you gardeners who are snowed in today and looking hard for a distraction from the Christmas goodies popping up on the table, take a tour through David Beaulieu’s ... Read More

Sometimes the hardest gifts to think of are the stocking stuffers. What's small enough to fit in a stocking, yet substantial enough to be a gift? Here are ... Read More

Remember when we played on metal slides that sat in the hot sun all day and ended in a slab of concrete? Today’s kids will never know that ... Read More

The Christmas Rose is actually a buttercup. Hellebore niger, known as the Christmas Rose, also has the frustrating tendency of not blooming until Easter - making it all the more ... Read More

Forsythia set their buds on 1-year old branches and begin to do so shortly after flowering. That’s why you need to get out there and prune your forsythia early; ... Read More

December 12th is National Poinsettia Day. That's right, the US Congress gave the Poinsettia an official day of recognition. They are hard to resist at this time of year, especially ... Read More

Long blooming and fragrant, with an almost unparalleled range of colors, Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus) seem at home in any garden. I like to plant them with my pole ... Read More

Whether you’re preparing for the snow plows or sitting at your beach house and laughing at those of us who are, salt tolerant plants are a need we have in ... Read More

There’s nothing quite like an amaryllis; odd looking, yet appealing. Amaryllis are gorgeous for a welcome span in the winter and then pretty dull for the rest of the ... Read More

Although many species of cyclamen are hardy, the cyclamen plants sold in greenhouses and stores during the holidays are considered houseplants and require different care than garden cyclamens. But ... Read More

Today's question comes up every year: Which is more environmentally friendly, a real Christmas tree are an artificial one? The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), although hardly unbiased ... Read More

At first glance, it seems that traditional deep fried Chanukah foods are a reminder of how we used to be able to eat, before the food police made everything good ... Read More

Who wouldn't welcome a bottle of 'homemade' flavored vodka, as a hostess gift? Your garden will become the talk of the party. About's Guide to Cocktails (now there's a job) ... Read More

Mistletoe, like cranberry sauce, makes its appearance at the holidays and then disappears for another year. But if mistletoe is such an attractive evergreen, how come we don’t grow ... Read More

I know that just about the last thing on anyone’s mind in December is gardening, no matter where you live. But just in case you need to get outdoors ... Read More