There is a stark beauty in the stillness of a cold December morning in the garden. With the growing having slowed to a stop, the borders mostly bare, the bones of the evergreens standing strong and the flitting and hopping of birds on leafless trees.
It is the perfect place to escape the busyness of Christmas preparations indoors. So put aside the present wrapping and wrap up warm instead – there are still a few things to do in the garden this month.

With most of the perennials having died back now, and the majority of bulbs not showing or only just beginning to poke through, now is a great time of year to add a thick mulch of compost or farmyard manure to your beds and borders without having to worry too much about damaging any plants.

Lock in warmth and moisture

Adding this mulch will lock in warmth and moisture, enrich your soil and do a very nice job of making the garden look much tidier. Do make sure to add the mulch only when the ground is not frozen, as this will lock in the cold instead.

Any pots in the garden can be moved to a corner and bunched together to help protect them from frost. It is also a good idea to check ties and stakes on plants and trees, as the wilder winter weather can often cause some damage. If any stems or trunks are left too loose and rub against each other or a framework, this can badly damage them and allow rot to creep in.

Don’t disturb hibernating animals

The wildlife will thank you now for not being too tidy. Hibernating animals will all be fast asleep and if their winter homes are disturbed now, they’ll be too drowsy to find a new one. So if you’ve left the untidiness this long, try and leave it a little longer. The birds, on the other hand, are very active and will reward your kindness of bird feed and ice-free water with the beauty of their presence in your garden.

December is a brilliant time of year to blur the boundaries of the garden between outside and in. Potted amaryllis, hyacinths and cyclamen all look great on a windowsill and make for great Christmas presents too.

Gifts for the gardener and from the garden

Gardeners, on the whole, are pretty easy to buy for when it comes to Christmas; bareroot roses are great this season, but another pair of gardening gloves or some nice new secateurs would always go down well.

As well as buying things for the garden, there is much to be gifted from the garden too; be it a homemade wreath, some saved seeds or potted bulbs, there’s plenty on offer both for and from the garden this Christmas.