In Good Thyme - by Mariana Graham

It's December, and suddenly you're twice as busy as you are any other month of the year. There are the holidays, of course, with their attendant shopping and scurrying. Out-of-town guests are welcomed to your home. Skiers and snow boarders' minds, if not their bodies, are in the mountains. Just when it seems there's not a minute to stop and catch your breath, you glance out the window at the garden, quiet now, patiently awaiting your attention. What better way to pause and reconnect with what is real and important than to spend a few hours close to the earth, even though it's cool and muddy at this time of year. Although much of the garden appears dormant, life abounds, and so do the chores. The cool, rainy weather is a perfect time to plant, divide and move most perennials, trees and shrubs. As long as the ground is not frozen, get your shovel sharpened and go for it. Plants set in the ground in December have the cool winter months to develop a strong root system and can concentrate their strength on aboveground growth in the spring. This is a good time to transplant evergreens. If you have a live Christmas tree this year, prepare a spot for it now. Dig the hole and protect the dirt pile with a tarp, so it won't be frozen when you plant the tree after Christmas. Don't keep a live tree in a heated house for more than 10 days, and be sure to keep it well watered during its stay indoors.

While we're on the subject of living Christmas trees, if you're in the market for one, or just shopping for landscape evergreens, please avoid spruces. Yes, they're beautiful, but one of the most commonly reported problems to Master Gardener clinics in the Pacific Northwest is sick and dying spruce trees. Most affected are landscape specimens such as Colorado blue, Sitka, Norway and Alberta spruce.
Starting in late spring and continuing through the summer, we Master Gardeners receive multiple reports of falling needles and defoliated branches. Parts of the spruce appear dead, and the only new growth is at the tips. At this stage, it's too late to do anything about it, because the damage is done in winter by the tiny spruce aphid, Elatobium abietinum. If you're bound and determined to have a spruce tree, there are a few aphid-resistant varieties on the market. Check with a trusted nursery professional to ensure that that is what you get. Next month, when spruce aphid season begins in earnest, I'll give detailed information on how to deal with this voracious garden pest.

So your neighbor wants a cutting of that fabulous hydrangea? Now is a good time to take cuttings of shrubs. Speaking of hydrangeas, don't prune them back to the ground, or you'll have no flowers in the spring. Prune only those branches that flowered this year. And if you want to change the color of your hydrangea, December is a good time to neutralize our naturally acidic Pacific Northwest soil to affect the transformation. To give your blue hydrangea more of a pink or lavender cast, spread about two cups of garden lime around the drip line of the plant. You can dig it into the soil, or just allow the winter rains to soak it in. It may take two applications (one per year) before you see a change.
Yes, winter is supposed to be the dormant season, but nobody seems to have informed the weeds. Many of them flourish in the winter months. Don't allow them to bloom and set seed, or you'll be digging them out for the rest of your life!

Just as weeds continue to grow, some harmful insects overwinter in cracks in tree bark. Once the leaves have dropped, spraying dormant oil on trees, especially fruit trees, helps control these bugs. Your local nursery can recommend a good horticultural oil.

And now a word for the birds. How dull a garden would be without them! Winter is the most difficult season for wild birds. Help them weather the winter by providing food, water and shelter. Black oil sunflower seed is the best all-purpose food for most seed-eating wild birds. A suet cake provides extra energy. Birds will die if they can't obtain water during freezing weather, so consider purchasing a birdbath de-icer. And leave some brushy areas around the garden to give birds a place to take shelter when those infamous Whidbey winds start to howl.
Garden questions or comments? Call 675-6611 or e-mail editor@whidbeynewstimes.com. Mariana Graham is a WSU-certified master Gardener and a member of Garden Writers Association of America.

Remember, if you're having plant problems, Island County- WSU volunteer Master Gardeners are here to help. Call 679-7327. A Master Gardener will return your call to discuss the issue and make a house call if necessary.
Garden questions or comments? Call 675-6611 or e-mail editor@whidbeynewstimes.com. Mariana Graham is a WSU certified Master Gardener and member of Garden Writers Association of America.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES
I often get requests for copies of past columns. Every column I've written since April 2000 is available on the Washington State University Extension website, www.island.wsu.edu. Click on my name for the most current column, then on "more articles" for a list of past columns by date and title. Click and print the ones that interest you.

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