December is a month when the garden often takes a back seat, and when Pat deserves a break from helping you all with your garden jobs, so the CABAHS Committee have come up with a list of 10 Things that they are doing this month in, from, or for their gardens.
1. Several of us are still planting bulbs such as tulips and alliums when we can get outside!
2. Sharon is cutting back hellebore leaves to expose the newly emerging foliage to light, and to prevent diseases from taking hold in the damp weather.
3. Vija is identifying where herbaceous perennials such as Phlox are located in her garden in order to protect the emerging growth from slugs and snails in spring – she suggests using grit or coarse compost material.
4. Fran will be turning her compost on a dry day: “A little late but still worth doing”. Maggie is planning to use her compost and loam from a turf stack to mulch, mulch, mulch all month!
Others are using the time to turn crops – whether windfall, pickings or forage – into useful or beautiful things:
5. Mandy and Brownie have made chutney from windfall apples, and Chris is making leaf mould from fallen leaves.
6. Melanie is making detergent from conkers and ivy,
7. and Pat will be making a Christmas wreath for her front door from garden, allotment and alleyway, as well as reusing elements from previous years. If you’ve made one, do send a photo to CABAHS!
Some of us are staying indoors, whether that’s the house or the greenhouse:
8. Ali will be bringing last year’s dormant Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) up from the dark and cool coal cellar, hoping to bring them back to life for flowers in the New Year.
9. Several of us will be perusing the seed catalogues and websites, dreaming of the perfect garden we will have next year (and stocking up on seeds to sow indoors in January such as chilli peppers!)
10. Kathy has been decorating her greenhouse because, whatever the weather, it’s the perfect spot for a morning coffee or an evening glass of wine while appreciating the plants.
Whether you decide to join in with any of the above, or do something completely different (if you have other suggestions for garden-related December activities please share them in the comments):
Season’s Greetings!
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Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 
I am delighted by the decorated greenhouse!
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Wonderful festive ideas. Fabulous wreath & Amarilis. Could Kathy let me know if she’s having a party in her very pretty greenhouse? Thanks committee.
In the RHS magazine ‘The Garden’ there are some enchanting gardening-related poems. Might we put 1 or 2 on our website?
I wonder if any of our members are similarly talented? Perhaps they might be inspired to give it a go.
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