Jobs in your garden this December

December invites slower, quieter gardening yet it sets up much of the year to come. With daylight short and soil often cold or waterlogged, focus shifts to gentle maintenance, protection and planning.  Here are some ideas for what you can be doing in your own plot this month.

Winter Garden Maintenance & Safety Checks

Early in the month, walk the garden after any frosts to check structures. Cold snaps expose weaknesses so inspect fences, sheds, greenhouses and cold frames. Repair loose panels and reseal draughty areas. A well-sealed greenhouse keeps temperatures steadier, reducing stress on overwintering plants. Clear moss and algae from paths to prevent slips and brush away wet leaves that encourage rot.

For more ideas on some bigger DIY projects you could be doing now, try these.

Mulching Beds for Cold-Weather Soil Health

Beds need minimal disturbance now.  Avoid digging when soil is saturated; instead, lay a thick mulch of compost or well-rotted manure. This insulates soil life, suppresses winter weeds and supports better structure come spring. Leave seedheads of perennials such as echinacea or verbena. They offer both winter interest and a valuable food source for birds. Trim only what is genuinely collapsing or diseased.

Fallen leaves and pruned twigs could become next year’s mulch; find out how to make your own here.

Protecting Pots, Lawns and Tender Plants

Tidy deciduous trees and shrubs on dry days. Remove damaged or crossing branches but avoid major pruning of spring-flowering species such as forsythia, camellia or magnolia. Reserve bigger structural pruning for later winter. If you have apple or pear trees, you can start winter pruning now, shaping the framework to encourage good fruiting wood next season.

Your lawn would benefit from a little attention now.  Keep it clear of leaves, avoid walking on it when it’s frozen and raise your mower blades if you give it one last tidy cut. Pots deserve close attention, too. Raise containers on feet to improve drainage so water doesn’t collect and freeze, potentially damaging the pot and the plant.  Group tender plants against a wall for some shelter. Wrap pots of half-hardy plants with bubble wrap or fleece, securing it so moisture doesn’t collect.

December Jobs for Fruit & Veg Growers

In the vegetable patch, harvest winter staples - leeks, parsnips, Brussels sprouts - and check any stored crops for rot. Garlic and broad beans planted in November should be coming through; if so, protect young shoots from pigeons with mesh or twine lines. If the ground is workable, you can still plant bare-root fruit bushes and trees. Winter is ideal for establishing raspberries, currants and gooseberries.

Houseplant Care

Houseplants need a lighter hand over winter.  Although temperatures won’t drop for them as much indoors, light levels do so they tend to slow down a bit, too.  Water them less often, avoiding cold water (let your watering can sit until the water comes up to room temperature).  Clean their leaves to maximise light absorption during the darkest weeks.  Cyclamen, amaryllis and paperwhites brighten windowsills through the festive period;  rotate their pots for more even growth.

Read more of our houseplant tips here.

Don’t forget the wildlife!

We’ve said it many times before but wildlife is the gardener’s friend during the summer months; gardeners need to be a friend to wildlife when food, water and shelter are scarce.  Keep bird feeders and water dishes ice free and topped up, and clean them regularly to prevent the spread of disease.  (It’s worth noting that the RSPB  are still not selling bird tables pending the results of a study into the spread of bird diseases so, if you continue to use a bird table yourself, please, please take extra care to see that it is regularly cleaned.)

Read more about ways to encourage wildlife into your garden here.

Reviewing your gardening year

Finally, use the quieter pace to review the year.  What thrived? What demanded too much attention? Sketch simple plans, browse seed catalogues and begin thinking about crop rotation or new borders. December rewards reflection; the energy you invest now will bloom by spring.