1. Plant groundcovers.
2. Plant a basket of narcissus for holiday bloom.
3. Finish filling flower beds with cool-season flowers for winter and spring bloom.
4. Plant nasturtiums and continue to plant wildflowers from seeds.
5. Plant flowering kale.
6. Continue to plant winter vegetables, including garlic.
7. Prune pine trees and other conifers now through February.
8. Divide and plant agapanthus.
9. Divide matilija poppy.
10. Open up spaces in dense trees to allow wind to pass through.
11. Prune acacias.
12. Prune cane berries other than low-chill raspberries.
13. Cut back chrysanthemums after bloom; clean up the ground.
14. Fertilize cool-season bedding flowers.
15. Continue to fertilize cineraria for growth.
16. Once rains arrive, stop watering succulents growing in the ground.
17. Water bulbs, especially potted ones.
18. Water roses until midmonth--but only if rains aren't adequate.
19. Don't let citrus go dry in cold or frosty weather.
20. Bait flower beds for cutworms, slugs and snails.
21. Stake young trees loosely so they can develop strong trunks.
22. Pre-chill tulips, hyacinths, and crocuses.
23. Wrap the trunks of young citrus and avocado trees with an insulating material to protect them from cold.
24. Mulch, mulch, and mulch some more.

Nothing is more beautiful in the garden than a large display of cyclamen. They are among the best winter-blooming plants. You can use them in pots on tables, by the front door, or planted in a nice shady spot outdoors. And they're great for atriums.

A few notes on growing cyclamen:

General:
• Try to keep water away from the crown area (they can get crown rot).
• Do not bury them too deep; keep the top of the tuber just slightly above the soil line.
• Keep your plants well fed; feed every couple of weeks while they are in full leaf.
• Pull out the stems that have gone to seed. (Hint! The seeds are hard, the new buds are soft. They look very much alike so this is an important little fact.)
• Pick a few flowers to go into a bud vase. They are lovely and last quite well.
• As the flowers begin to fade, gradually allow the plant to dry out for 2-3 months; don't feed during this time.
• Resume feeding when new growth appears.

Outdoors:
• Cyclamen like cool weather (that's why they make great winter-bloomers). That means outdoors in a shady to semi-shady spot. If you have a spot that is full shade in summer and gets more light in cooler weather, that is ideal.
• Make sure they are planted in a well-draining area.
• They like cool weather--but not severe cold. Some are more hardy than others, but most need some protection against cold.

Indoors:
• Pick a cool spot. Make sure they have good air circulation, but keep out of cold drafts and hot, dry air.
• High humidity, especially during winter, is very important. Try putting the cyclamen on a tray of water with a layer of pebbles to form a shelf for pot to sit on. Don't put the cyclamen itself in the water. You want humidity around the plant, not soggy soil.
• Let the cyclamen have plenty of light in winter; sunburn is rarely a problem. In summer keep it in indirect light.
• Repot when the tuber fills the existing pot; it's best to repot it while it's dormant. Use a pot just a little larger than the old pot.

The mandarin has many names, some of which actually refer to crosses between the mandarin and another citrus fruit. Varieties with reddish-orange fruit marketed as tangerines, and tangelos (a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine) are all part of the same family.

Smaller than oranges, mandarins are easily peeled with the fingers, starting at the thin rind covering the depression at the top of the fruit, and can be easily split into even segments without spilling juice. This makes it more convenient to eat than many other types of citrus, as one doesn't require utensils to peel or cut the fruit.

Mandarins make a wonderful addition to various kinds of dishes. The freshly grated peel lends an exotic flavor to other foods. Whole segments can be used in salads, desserts and other dishes such as coleslaw or tuna salad for an unexpected, delicious and colorful treat!

Most mandarin varieties are self-fertile (needing a bee only to move pollen within the same flower) or parthenocarpic (not needing pollination and therefore seedless). They prefer warm sunny locations with good drainage and benefit from the addition of a planting mix at planting time. Make sure to feed your mandarin every two months year-round to ensure strong growth and great tasting fruit.

We encourage you to find a spot in your garden for one of these great tasting fruit trees. Once you taste a fresh one, you'll never go back to store-bought!

With the cooler weather and indoor festivities of the holiday season hard upon us, it must seem ridiculous to feature an article about the planning of a vegetable garden.

Au contraire. Now is the perfect time to begin planning your garden, so that when the season’s siren and the available stock are calling to you, you won’t be ill-prepared. And in the process, you will find that you’ve extended your gardening season throughout the year by keeping logs, making notes, and just plain dreaming of the fresh crops that you’ll reap.

Spend time at your windows. Look for the sunny spots in your garden, as most vegetables need six to eight hours of direct sun a day to thrive. Factor in the position of deciduous trees that may be shedding their leaves now, but will cast shadows during high grow season. Your leafy greens will be fine with slightly less sun, but what’s a salad without the toppings? If you have windows positioned from the kitchen that give a view to where you are planning to place your vegetable garden, all the better. The psychology is that if your garden is easy to see, and easy to access, you will be more apt to notice what needs tending, and what is ready for harvesting.

Of course, as with a lot of plants, loose, well-amended soil is the ultimate environment in which to grow your vegetables, and the easiest way to accomplish this is to utilize raised beds. More and more gardeners are relinquishing the battle with poor native soil, and building raised beds that not only make the process of gardening easier, they also give much more latitude and control over the actual growing environment.

We recommend building your garden in three-foot wide beds with 18 inch paths. If you have the room, go for it and plant a 20 by 20 foot garden; this will give you the room you need to grow “space hogs” such as corn and winter squash. If you haven’t that much room, even a small plot provides plenty of space for greens, herbs, a few tomatoes and peppers, beans, cucumbers, and even edible flowers for garnishes. In fact, including flowers in your vegetable garden not only adds beauty to the plot, they also attract pollinating insects.

We’re now going to deal with the actual building of the raised beds. The ground is still warm, and while you’re going to have to consider which seeds you will direct sow, and which seedlings you will use, keep in mind which vegetables are frost-tolerant and which are not. Plot out your plantings on paper, using pencil so you can easily change your mind as you see how vast your choices are. Draw square “beds” and fill in the names of the plants that you think will be best suited there.

For optimum sun exposure, orient the garden so the rows run east to west, with the tallest plants on the northern end. Drive a stake in the ground at each of the four corners of the plot. Pine or cedar boards are the best for an easy-to-make raised bed; just be certain to avoid using pressure-treated wood as it contains chemicals that will leach into your garden. We highly recommend watching This Old House for hints on how to use tools; however, if you decide to make your own beds, carefully use your drill and fix the boards together by counter-sinking exterior screws. Use a level to ensure a neatly made bed. Or, buy ready-made beds from your local garden center! You can be creative; I’ve seen raised beds made from a wide variety of materials. Just keep in mind that the idea is to raise the soil of the bed, and to have a containment of sorts.

Next comes staking the garden. Even though you're using a raised garden in order to control the growing environment, you still will need to rototill or turn the soil and remove all existing weeds. Be sure that the soil that you plan on using has a pH between 6.0 and 6.8. If your soil is acid, use limestone to raise the pH. If your soil is alkaline, use sulfur to lower the pH. Consult your local extension service if you have questions about how and where to acquire soil testers.

Next, measure and stake each individual garden bed, outlining the beds with string. Then comes your soil. Shape your beds by spreading your soil with a garden rake, drawing the soil evenly between the string boundaries. You want to end up with a flat-topped raised bed whose soil reaches fully to the string, which should rise about eight inches above the walkways. This country gardener made a point of locating a gentleman who brings three yards of soil directly to me with a single phone call as soon as I found the farmhouse of my dreams. The soil he provides for a nominal fee is pre-amended, loaded with fertilizer, and teeming with happy worms. I highly recommend this approach if possible; there will be plenty of work for you to do when it comes time to plant, harvest, and enjoy your vegetables!

What's the best time to spray my peach and nectarine trees to prevent peach-leaf curl?

Answer:

Peaches and nectarines should actually be sprayed 3 times each winter to prevent peach-leaf curl. The first (and most important) time to spray is in fall when about half the leaves have fallen. We recommend a combination of a copper spray with a spreader sticker. The first spray should also include dormant spray oil to kill any insects hoping to over-winter. The key is to make this first application before winter storms and while there is still some foliage to absorb the spray.

The second application should be made at full dormancy in mid-winter.

The third and final application should be made during pink bud swell, but prior to opening of blooms.

(We recommend staying upwind from the spray unless you are planning to audition for the Blue Man Group.)