What to do during December in your garden and greenhouse.

Your monthly gardening checklists

Flowers

Prune climbing roses before February

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Fruit and veg

  • Place straw around the base of parsnips to prevent the soil freezing, which can make harvesting difficult
  • Plant blackberries, such as thornless 'Loch Ness', for easy pickings of large, sweet, juicy fruits
  • Winter prune large fruit trees, such as apples and pears, to control their shape and size, and to increase their productivity
  • Plant fruit trees trained as cordons, fans or espaliers to make good use of limited space
  • Start to plan next year's crops and order seeds
  • Tidy up raspberry and blackberry beds – weed and mulch with compost, then tie new stems to support wires
  • Lift and divide large clumps of rhubarb, replanting the outer sections into soil enriched with well-rotted manure
  • Keep kale, winter cabbages and other brassicas covered with netting to protect them from hungry pigeons
  • Finish clearing old crops and debris from the veg plot, but only compost healthy material
  • Remove yellowed leaves on brassicas, so fungal diseases such as grey mould and downy mildew don't take hold
  • Make sure Brussels sprouts don't topple over in strong winds - tie to a cane for support and earth up the stems
  • Prune grapevines, cutting back side-branches to one or two buds from the main stem

Cut back grapevines

Greenhouse

  • Pot up a clump of rhubarb and place under a large bin to force an early crop of sweet stems
  • Pick faded leaves and dead flowers regularly from plants overwintering in the greenhouse, such as pelargoniums
  • Pinch out the tips of autumn-sown sweet peas to encourage bushier growth
  • Deadhead indoor azaleas, water regularly and provide cool conditions, away from radiators, to prolong flowering
  • Monitor greenhouse temperatures with a max-min thermometer to ensure heaters are working efficiently
  • Bring hyacinths growing in the greenhouse into your home to flower, placing in a cool, bright spot
  • Water plants sparingly to keep the greenhouse as dry as possible, which should reduce outbreaks of disease
  • Prune greenhouse grapevines while dormant
  • Water florists' cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) from below, and deadhead regularly to encourage more blooms
  • Check overwintering plants in the greenhouse for red spider mite and other pests, and treat if necessary

Grow cacti from seed

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House plants

Amaryllis 'Carmen'

Garden maintenance

  • Top up bird baths with fresh water every day during frosty weather
  • Bring all watering equipment indoors, including hoses and sprinklers, so they don't freeze and split
  • Scoop fallen leaves and debris from ponds, leave on the side so pond life can escape, then add to the compost bin
  • Stand your Christmas tree in a bucket of water in a sheltered spot outdoors until it's time to bring it indoors
  • Clear out your shed, and organise and clean your tools
  • Check tree ties and stakes are firm enough to stand up to winter storms
  • Prune blackcurrants once dormant, removing about a quarter of the old stems
  • Order well-rotted manure or mushroom compost to dig in over winter or spread over bare soil as mulch for worms to take down
  • Order summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies and gladioli

Order your bulbs for next summer

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Travel and events
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Northern Italy lakes & gardens

Travel to Northern Italy’s lakeside paradise by Eurostar from London. Stay on beautiful Lake Orta. Visit charming Stresa on Lake Maggiore, known for its stunning villas and gardens, and Lake Como, with a trip to Villa Carlotta. You’ll also cross the border into Switzerland twice and visit cosmopolitan Milan.
From£1795

pp. 7 nights, departs 19 October 2025. Also available 20 April 2026. From prices are per person, based on two people sharing a standard room, subject to availability. Price and itinerary correct at time of print but may be subject to change. Single supplement applies. Deposit 30%. Local charges such as tourist tax may apply. One travel wallet per booking. Offers are not valid in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. Travel insurance is not included and should be taken out at time of booking. Images used may not reflect your actual tour experience. Holidays may be sold through other selected brands. Tours are operated by and subject to the booking conditions of TS Travel Limited (ATOL bonded).

Gardening offers
Hayloft-new-logo-200x60

Clematis 'Elipis'

Clematis ‘Elpis’ is a stunning perennial vine that will add a touch of elegance and charm to your garden. Known for its eye-catching, star-shaped flowers, 'Elpis' boasts an enchanting blend of rich, ruby red petals, each with a striking creamy-yellow centre.
£28£54

Supplied as 3 x 7cm pots.