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Gardening in Italy?→ December’s almanac for the Italian climate
ALMANAC · UK CLIMATE

The garden in December

December is a month for looking after what you have. Outdoors the jobs are few: protect, check, and prune a few dormant trees. Indoors, festive plants arrive — and many of them are killed by kindness in the first fortnight.

It's also a good time to plan. Looking at the garden in its winter outline shows exactly where structure, evergreen interest or a winter-flowering shrub would help.

UK and similar cool temperate climates. Hard frosts and snow are possible anywhere; mild spells can bring early growth.

AT A GLANCE

Spotlight: keeping Christmas plants alive

Poinsettias, cyclamen, amaryllis and Christmas cacti all come from greenhouse conditions, and most of their problems start on the way home. Carry them wrapped, don't leave them in a cold car, and avoid draughty spots near the front door.

Poinsettias want steady warmth (around 16-22°C), bright light and water only when the surface of the compost is dry; cold or soggy roots cause the sudden leaf drop people blame on the plant. Cyclamen are the opposite: they last longest in a cool, bright room, around 12-15°C, watered from below. Amaryllis need a bright window and turning every few days so the stem grows straight. Christmas cactus hates being moved while in bud — it drops them.

After the festivities, cyclamen and amaryllis can be kept for next year with the right summer care. Getting a poinsettia to colour again is possible but demanding, because it needs weeks of strict long nights in autumn; most people treat it as a long-lasting cut flower, and that's fine.

PoinsettiaHardy cyclamenAmaryllisChristmas cactus Watering plants in pots ›

Jobs this month

Festive plants

Plants bought for Christmas were usually grown in warm, humid greenhouses. The shock of a cold car or a draughty doorway causes most of the leaf and bud drop that follows.

Keep poinsettias in a warm, bright room away from draughts, and water only when the surface is dry. Watering plants in pots › Poinsettia
Don't move Christmas cactus while in bud. Christmas cactus
Stake amaryllis stems and turn the pot regularly. Staking & supporting plants › Amaryllis
Keep cyclamen cool and bright — a warm room shortens flowering. Hardy cyclamen

Winter checks

A quick walk round after storms and cold spells catches problems early.

Wrap potted olives, bay and callistemon in cold spells; move them in if a hard frost is forecast. Protecting plants from frost › OliveBayBottlebrush
Check stored dahlia and calla tubers and remove any that are soft. Overwintering tender plants › DahliaArum lily
Check tree ties and stakes after strong winds. Staking & supporting plants ›
Protect young pittosporums in exposed gardens during cold snaps. Protecting plants from frost › Pittosporum

Dormant pruning

Deciduous trees are dormant, so cuts heal cleanly and the structure is easy to see.

Prune apples and pears. Pruning an apple or pear tree › Crab applePear
Take hardwood cuttings of elder, dogwood and currants. Hardwood cuttings › ElderDogwoodFlowering currant
Leave plums, cherries and acers alone until summer (acers bleed sap in late winter). Ornamental cherryJapanese maple

Planning

The winter garden shows its gaps. Notes and photos taken now are worth more than any catalogue in January.

Photograph the garden from the house windows to spot where winter interest is missing.
Order seeds and plan the vegetable rotation.
Consider winter-interest plants: bergenia, nandina, hellebores, pieris. BergeniaHeavenly bambooHelleborePieris

Sow and plant

Sow
  • Onions from seed with gentle heat at the end of the month
  • Sweet peas if not sown in autumn
Plant out
  • Bare-root trees and hedging (when the ground isn't frozen)
  • Tulips (last chance)
  • Amaryllis indoors

Watch out for

Frost and snow damageSnow loads split evergreens; frozen pots kill roots. Brush snow off and protect pots.Bud drop on festive plantsCaused by draughts, cold or moving the plant.Overwatering indoorsThe main winter killer of houseplants.

Questions

How do I keep a poinsettia alive?

Keep it in a warm, bright room at a steady temperature, away from draughts and radiators, and water only when the compost surface is dry. Leaf drop is almost always cold or overwatering.

Can I prune in December?

Yes for apples, pears, most deciduous shrubs and wisteria. Avoid plums and cherries (disease risk) and maples and birches (they bleed sap).

Should I water the garden in winter?

Rarely. Only pots under cover or against house walls, where rain can't reach, and evergreens in pots during dry, windy spells.