Time to Relax

Ahh, December is down time here in the Northern hemisphere. It's a great time to kick back, but don't relax too much. There are still some things to do.

First, go through your garden journal and make sure it's up to date. Did you list everything you planted and where you planted it? What worked well and what didn't? Did you try anything new? I found that the clover planted by my tomatoes worked really well. But the fava beans I planted did miserably. No big surprise there, the soil was almost clay and very rocky. Perhaps after another year of growing fava beans the ground will be better. I mulched my potatoes deeply again this year. However, I noticed that the ones that had the least mulch did the best. Observations like this are great to include in your journal.

Did you write down all the fall bulbs and perennials you planted? In the rush to get them into the ground, it's easy to forget where you planted them. Then in the spring, you risk digging them up when you plant something else there. Even if you forgot what you put in the ground, you can still mark off the areas that you planted on a quick sketch of the garden.

Second, take care of your tools. Clean them off and perhaps apply a layer of oil to the handles. Of course, I never apply oil. That's way too organized for me. So, don't feel as though oilingyour tools is a neccessity. I always try to knock off the dirt and make sure they're relatively clean. Put all your tools away in their designated storage spots. There's nothing as frustrating as starting out on the first warm spring day and then waste it finding and cleaning your tools. Don't leave any tools out over the winter, either. That's just asking for trouble.

Third, fill up those bird feeders. Make sure you have a supply of bird food. Our feathered friends have a harder time in the winter finding food, so it's more important to feed them in the winter than during the warmer months. In the summer I let my feeders stay empty about half the time. In the winter, I try to fill them as soon as they're empty. If you have a heated bird bath, that's another way to keep the birds happy in the winter. Finally, provide some places where they can roost at night. Leave some protected brush in the back, have evergreens in your yard or provide roosting houses for the birds to protect the birds from the wind. Then in the spring, when these birds build nests, they reward you by eating bugs from your garden.

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