Winter Planting: What to Plant in Your Garden in December
December is an interesting month for most. What you can plant will vary with your location, but there’s still plenty that can be done. Photograph by Marie Viljoen, from Gardening 101: Garlic. 1. You can plant vegetables. Cold-hardy vegetables can be planted in beds where the winters aren’t too harsh and the soil is not frozen and still workable. How much depends on your microclimate and if you have access to hoop houses or floating row covers, both of which provide protection. If you choose to winter sow using milk jugs, be sure to fill each with at least three inches of soil. Photograph by SK via Flickr. If your soil is already frozen, you have two options. Grow your vegetables in a cold frame, or winter sow by using milk jugs (or other repurposed plastic containers) to create a miniature greenhouse for the seeds. Winter is the season for bare root planting. 2. You can plant flowers. Photograph courtesy of David Austin Roses, from Dreaming of Roses? You can plant many different flowers by way of winter sowing. The same goes for tulips, snowdrops, and one of the main harbingers of spring, crocuses. If you see pansies in your local garden center, pick some up. Photograph by Justine Hand, from DIY: Plant Your Christmas Tree in the Garden. For best results, soil temperature should be 60°F or warmer when planting an evergreen tree. There is a magic number for planting trees in the winter. With planting any plant, it’s important to match the right plant to the right place.