Happy Holidays Everybody!

The holiday season is here for everyone and it's a great time for gardeners to make up their wish lists of garden goodies. If anyone asks what you'd like for Christmas, Hannukah or Kwanza, whip that list out. Many garden supply catalogs have terrific sales this time of year. And, as you're well aware, seed catalogs are starting to appear in mailboxes. In fact, a terrific stocking stuffer could be a gift certificate from your favorite seed catalog.

In this issue, we'll look at bulb forcing over the holidays, some neat handmade gifts, the answer to new reader Albert M.'s question about keeping pigeons at bay in the garden, and a to-do list that involves one of my favorite pastimes: daydreaming.

Have a safe, warm and happy holiday season and I'll see you back here in January. 

It isn't too late to start forcing bulbs for a little holiday color.  True, it is mid-December and the chances of having a thrilling display of paperwhites on your Christmas table get slimmer with every passing day, but it isn't impossible to have them for New Year's and into January.

So what kind of bulbs do you want to force?  Typically, forcing starts before Thanksgiving by placing bulbs in a pot of dirt and putting them somewhere dark and cold for six to eight weeks.  I have forced tulips this way as well as many varieties of daffodils.

My favorite daffodil variety, though, especially for forcing is the paperwhite.  These little bulbs can rest in a bed of aquarium gravel or pebbles and grow beautifully.

One of the better daffodil varieties for forcing is called the Tazetta.  Paperwhites are part of this family.  The thing that's neat about Tazettas is that they don't really need that cold, dark period before they'll happily bloom.  The only thing you really need to get them going gangbusters is some moisture.

You don't even need potting soil for these guys.  Put them in a bowl full of pebbles, water them and watch them bloom.  Yea, sorta like a Chia pet! You can even stagger the bloom time by having several bowls going at various times.  For instance, start one set of paperwhites today and another in a week to 10 days.

Another easy variety to force that does not require a deep freeze is an autumn blooming crocus.  These bulbs can grow just about anywhere, indoors or out.  Tazettas, on the other hand, cannot grow outdoors where winters are cold.

Some varieties of autumn blooming crocus include Showy Crocus, which has an orange stigma popping its head out of pale blue petals, and Saffron Crocus.  Yes, the saffron crocus is the variety the spice comes from but you'd have to amass a large amount of croci in order to get a small amount of saffron.

Of all the crocus bulbs, the Colchicum is the easiest to force.  Sometimes even neglected bulbs will bloom even before you've had a chance to plant them.

Another familiar bulb that comes with its own growing medium is the amaryllis.  Amaryllis comes in lots of colors including vibrant oranges, delicate whites and deep reds.  This bulb is available now in most home and nursery centers.

Pick up some bulbs, put them in a dish with gravel, and slap a bow on the side.  Friends and neighbors will love a great fresh Christmas gift.

You don't have to spend tons of money on a pre-made wreath or garland to give as a Christmas gift.  Simply go to a craft store like Michael's or Ben Franklin  -- heck, even the craft department at Wal-Mart -- and pick up a wreath form.

These forms are made from several different materials.  There are green metal forms as well as straw forms.  You can even find wreath forms made out of what appears to be rattan.  And all of them are beautiful.

If you don't want to break the bank buying silk flowers and dried herbs for your wreath, try looking in your backyard to see what evergreens you have growing there.  Nandina leaves and berries work well (although the berries, when they dry, tend to fall off the stalk).  Do you have some pine trees growing in your yard that need to be pruned?  If so, this is a great time to make a wreath from the branches. Just watch out for the sap. It can stick to everything!

Holly is also a great evergreen but be careful: the holly leaves have very sharp points and it's easy to poke yourself and bleed.

Try using some rhododendron leaves as well.  When you mix all of these leaves and berries together, a wonderful wreath appears.  You don't even have to fill the entire wreath form if you're using the rattan version.  You can fill in the bottom and tie nice bow on top for a charming, rustic affects.

If you still have some herbs growing outside, poke those in between the greenery.  Lavender and rosemary are a wonderful addition as well as lemon thyme and sage.

Did you grow catnip last year? If you have cat lovers on your list, it's not too late to dry the leaves, crumble them up and sew them into a little muslin sack for your feline friends. To dry catnip leaves, use the same method you would use to dry basil leaves: remove the leaves and place them on a baking sheet. Put them in a cool (no more than 200 degrees) oven for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. It may take as long as an hour to dry them.

Finally, there's nothing like getting some baked goods from a gardener's kitchen filled with herbs and spices and love.  You don't even need to make these goodies from scratch.  Try using quick bread mix and adding your own fruit or nuts.  You can make quick bread as loaves or as muffins.

You could also buy some hand scrub and lotion, gloves and a hand tool or two to make up a neat basket for your favorite gardener. I always love receiving gifts like this, especially if the basket or container is one I could use over and over. I like to use metal buckets (like those used for citronella candles in the summer) because they're reusable for all sorts of things. You could even go all out and paint them to make them even more unique.

Sometimes just a little effort is all it takes to unleash your creativity.

Last month we had a question from Albert M. in Great Britain about keeping pigeons out of his garden. And I got a great reply from reader robin G. in St, Petersburg, Florida. Thanks Robin!

Her response - which I wholeheartedly endorse - is to use something shiny like aluminum foil on string. Cut the foil, thread a needle with some string and pierce the foil. Tie the string together in a knot and hang the foil near or in the garden so it creates a shiny diversion for the birds. You can have as many of these as you want and it's a great way to use up old tin foil.

Have a question for The Frugal Garden Guru? Please feel free to use the email link on the upper left side of this page to mail questions or suggestions.

Here's the best thing I know to do at holiday time: sit back, have spiced eggnog and enjoy your family.  If you're away from your family, get together with friends and reflect on the year that has just passed.  Sometimes, friends are the best family and I'm thankful for all of you who have become friends of mine over the past year.

Start daydreaming about the kind of garden you'd like to have next year as seed catalogs start rolling in. Make a New Year's resolution to try a new plant or a different variety or species of an old favorite.

Happy holidays, Happy New Year and, most of all, peace.

 

Yours for a more bountiful garden,

Victoria
The Frugal Garden Guru