Garden calendar December

Planning, design and construction

Holding a winter bbq? Set up a fire pit or make a fire pit in the garden in advance.
If you want to enjoy a completely renovated garden next year, now is the time to make plans. With our handy online drawing tool you can easily create a beautiful design. And contact a landscaper: they are very busy in the spring, so make an appointment in time.
Take a look at our handy PlantEncyclopedia. This way you can easily and quickly get inspiration for plants that fit into your garden.
If you have yet to replace a fence, do so now! Soon the plants will start growing again.
Dreaming of a greenhouse? Between now and the end of January is the perfect time to install a greenhouse, just before the new seeding season begins.

The rhododendron remains a beautiful green in winter.

Still enjoy color on the patio in winter? Bright winter bloomers, such as Winter Violets, are perfect for placing in a pot or basket. Also Bergthee, with its red berries, is a nice eye-catcher on the garden table and fits perfectly with the Christmas atmosphere. Or how about, how could it be otherwise: the Helleborus or Poinsettia.
Plant spring bulbs before mid-December and before it freezes.
Deciduous trees and shrubs can be planted when it is not freezing.
Want to know how to provide more color in your winter garden? Read our blog for more inspiration.

Holly has beautiful red berries all winter.

Systematically go through your garden and remove fallen leaves, spent flowers and dead plant material.
Make a beautiful wreath from pine branches and holly and hang it on the garden gate or front door. Or put it on the garden table along with some found branches or pine cones from the forest.
Is a severe frost on the way? Have fleece or bubble wrap ready so you can wrap plants immediately if necessary.
If it freezes, put potted plants indoors or in a sheltered spot together.
If you hadn't already, really close your outdoor faucet now.
Keep paths clear of snow. Do this with sand rather than salt; this is a more environmentally friendly solution.

For safety, clear a path during snowfall.

Fragile perennials are susceptible to frost and wind. Therefore, protect them by covering the root ball with leaves or a layer of compost and place screens against wind.
Tamp the soil around new plants well with the foot, so they will not come loose during wind pressures.
Water the plants that need it again vigorously.

A layer of snow gives the Den a Christmas atmosphere.

The fruit bushes are probably all bare now. It is good to prune them back considerably so that when they grow out again in the spring, they will look young and fresh. Do this before it freezes, though!
Furthermore, you may prune the Summer Raspberry.
The Lily Tree is ready for a pruning between now and late February.
Prune species that bleed heavily such as Grapes, Maples and the Birch before mid-December. That's when the sap flow stops.

Conifers with icicles: a beautiful winter picture!

When it is freezing or snowing, it is better not to walk on the grass. By the way, this also applies when the ground is very wet; the pressure of your feet makes it less permeable to water!
Rake fallen leaves from the turf regularly. The leaves shut off the light supply to the grass, creating unsightly, yellow patches.

If you've kept up with weeding well over the past few months, there won't be many more weeds at this time of year. Remove any emerging weeds in the border, paths and patio immediately.

Care for birds in the garden. Place a large bowl of water and refill it regularly so they can drink and bathe.
It is obviously important that the pond not freeze completely, nor should the surface freeze completely.
During long, cold periods, make sure to keep a "wak" in the ice, otherwise CO2 (formed by the fish and plants) cannot escape from the water and oxygen concentration becomes too low. Therefore, put a bunch of reeds or straw upright in the water. Even if the surface freezes over completely, gases can still escape through the reeds.
If it snows, sweep the snow off the ice. Otherwise, not enough light will fall into the water.
To improve water quality, you can put an air pump in the water. That will help the fish get through the winter!

Make sure decking boards, for example next to the pond, are kept clear of snow to prevent slipping.

You can still harvest some in the vegetable garden, such as kale, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, beets and white cabbage.
Make a sowing and planting schedule in advance for spring.
You can germinate the seeds of sprouting vegetables indoors: do so in a container on the windowsill or under glass.

Help the birds: set up a bird drinker with (if it's freezing) shaved ice.
Leave a pile of leaves as a hiding and scratching spot for the animals.
Sprinkle some peanuts, seeds, almonds or walnuts for squirrels, birds and hedgehogs.
Choose a few different feeding spots in your garden.
Do not buy fat balls in a plastic net. These are not durable and birds can get caught in them. What you can do is place a box as a shelter for animals.

Pollard willows fit into an archetypal Dutch landscape.

Want to see other months' garden calendar returns? Then check out the garden calendar year overview.