The Dirt on December

Master Gardener Monthly • December

December may feel like your garden’s nap time—but that doesn’t mean you have to be dormant. With nature chilling (literally), you’ve got the perfect window to evaluate, plan, tidy, dream, and even add a splash of color to your beds and borders.

With help from UT and TSU Extension resources, you can use this quieter season to make thoughtful choices that support pollinators, protect water quality, and create a healthier landscape all year long.

Pair those resources with winter-friendly plant ideas such as pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale, hellebores, coral bells, camellias, and magnolias, and you’ve got a winning December game plan.

December Garden Checklist

Create fun winter arrangements. Using ideas from Marla Killen’s January talk on “Color in the Winter Garden,” combine pansies, ornamental kale, hellebores, evergreen cuttings, berries, and interesting branches into porch pots, window boxes, or tabletop centerpieces. Think about contrast—soft pansy blooms against bold cabbage leaves, coral bells foliage, or magnolia and nandina stems—to make arrangements that feel cheerful all season long.

Take stock of what worked—and what didn’t. Take a slow walk through your garden with a warm drink in hand. Notice gaps in winter color, bare spots, erosion issues, or places where you might want more evergreens. Jot notes or snap photos so you’ll remember what to change come spring.

Give your tools a little TLC. Clean, sharpen, and oil hand pruners, loppers, shovels, and hoes. A small investment of time now means cleaner cuts, less frustration, and longer-lasting tools when the busy season returns.

Remove winter-green invaders. Because many invasive plants stay green when everything else goes dormant, December is a great time to spot and remove them. Look for English ivy, privet, and other evergreen troublemakers, and use Extension resources to help with identification.

Refresh mulch where it’s needed. Add a 2-3-inch layer of mulch around shrubs, perennials, and young trees to protect roots from freeze–thaw cycles. Keep mulch pulled back a few inches from trunks and crowns to prevent rot and critter damage.

Check irrigation and hoses. Disconnect garden hoses, drain irrigation lines if needed, and protect outdoor spigots before a hard freeze. A few minutes of prevention now can save you from cracked fittings and surprise leaks later. Master Gardener Monthly • December

Plan next year’s native plant additions. Use Tennessee native plant resources and Smart Yard tools to make a wish list for pollinator-friendly and wildlife-supporting plants. Think about layering trees, shrubs, and perennials so something is always blooming or providing food.

Force bulbs indoors for winter cheer. Bring the garden inside by forcing paperwhites, amaryllis, or hyacinths in pots or decorative containers. They’re a bright reminder that spring is coming—and they make great gifts, too.

Feed the birds and enjoy the show. Clean your bird feeders and keep them stocked with appropriate seed. Birds add life to the winter garden and reward you later by helping with insect control.

Helpful UT & TSU Extension Resources

For more research-based gardening information, explore these resources.

• UT Hort – https://uthort.tennessee.edu

• Tennessee Native Plant Database – https://tynnativeplants.wordpress.com

• Smart Yard Resources Network – https://tiny.utk.edu/findconservationstuff

• Tennessee Invasive Plant Council – https://www.tnipc.org

• Today’s Native Plants Presentation – https://tiny.utk.edu/temgnativeplants

• Tennessee Smart Yards – https://tnyards.tennessee.edu

Winter color plant ideas are adapted from the “Color in the Winter Garden” handout by Marla Killen, presented at the January MCMG meeting, and from University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University Extension resources. Contact your local Extension office for location-specific recommendations.