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or door for a limited period, while still allowing it to close. Don't plug into outdoor sockets if the transformer will be exposed.DecemberWinteran hour1 x holly, Ilex aquifolium3 x Stipa tenuissima 'Pony Tails'3 x Skimmia japonica30cm terracotta pot

, ranging from the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, to the stinking hellebore, Helleborus foetidus. Hellebores provide a great source of colour in the winter months - some flower as early as December - and will tolerate full sun to almost full shade. They

, making it a perfect choice for adding late-summer colour to your borders. Schizostylis needs a sheltered, sunny site and is happier in milder, parts of Britain. In areas with a low risk of frost, schizostylis will bloom until late-December, providing a

.Thinking back to last year, we had snow in December. Will we get it again? Just in case, I want to make the most of the coming month to prepare the garden and keep on top of autumn jobs. Leaves need to be promptly collected, the lawn given a light trim, old

, except for the fact that it’s a little chilly around my feet as I sit in the office. Time to dust off the thermal socks, I fear.I suppose it’s particularly appropriate that the frost should come on 1 December. If I were more organised, I could tell you

. They are mainly encountered in October and November, but you may occasionally come across one in December and even further into winter or early spring as these tiny hedgehogs struggle to survive.If you spot one out now - during the day or night - it’s almost

packed decorations from the loft in early December, ready to adorn a new tree. Some of those decorations have seen more Christmases than my daughter, and she’s now 18! Every year we try and add one more, and often search for these when away on our summer

in my gardening habits, so you'll rarely find me on the plot on 21 December.There's still plenty of time to order and plant shallots or find them in garden centres - I've got away with planting them in at the end of April and still had a good crop

'.  Plant in November too.November: Plant autumn hard necks: 'Purple Moldovan', 'Chesnok'.December: 'Lautrec' can be planted now.January: Plant spring types: 'Solent Wight', 'Tuscan Wight', 'Picardy Wight'.February: Continue planting spring types. When bulb

no birds, despite the sparkling clean feeders and expensive food I put out for them.I'm pleased to report that this has all changed. What's more, my garden has become a battle ground. When the snow came in December, a robin and blackbird tentatively started