Decking the Halls 
This time of year, one of the most pleasurable little projects I can do is to cut greenery from my back yard to decorate the house. Bits of greenery are tucked onto window sills with ornaments; nutcrackers are lined up on the mantle with springs of holly; a swag of blue spruce, pine, and arborvitae graces the front door. In a deeply Martha moment, I even make my own garland with trimmings from my yew hedge. Not only is it free, it's incredibly satisfying. I'm enough of a plant snob that I don't like using fake greenery. The scent and authenticity of real plant material from my garden more than make up for the time and bit of mess involved. In fact, in the morning with a cup of coffee in one hand and a hand shears in the other, decking the halls with homegrown greenery is an extremely peaceful way to start the day.
Merry Holiday Decorating,
Veronica Lorson Fowler
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Holiday Greenery Projects
Look at this vase of evergreens and crabapple branches! It doesn't get much easier than this. Just cut some branches from your back yard (I chose arborvitae, yew, and holly) and accent with berry branches. The crabapples in my yard are
still fairly attractive, so I cut some of those, but you can get pretty winterberry from a florist or (gasp!) use fake. Takes just minutes.
Also two other fun, easy
 ways to decorate with greenery: A peace wreath (click here for instructions) and a cute little tree shown on the right. It's made by trimming a block of floral foam to shape and adding bits of greenery and tiny ornaments. (click here for instructions).
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Great Gifts for Iowa Gardeners
 'Tis the season to start checking people off your gift list!
Of course, we here at The Iowa Gardener think the book, "Gardening in Iowa," makes a faaabulous gift, mainly because (insert shameless promotion here) I wrote it.
It's a month-by-month listing of what to do when in your Iowa or Midwestern garden, along with articles and plant lists. Just $26.50 (that includes shipping). A portion of the proceeds goes to Reiman Gardens, and I'm happy to add the inscription of your choice.
Click here for details. Order by December 17 to assure Christmas delivery!
For more Iowa gardening-themed gift ideas that can be had with the click of a mouse, click here.
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Advertising Help Wanted
The Iowa Gardener e-newsletter and web site is a labor of love for myself and co-publisher Ben Allen. We have a great product and tremendous, involved readership. But we also need to beef up our advertising efforts!
We're looking for an advertising coordinator to help us cultivate current advertisers and add new ones. Is that you--or someone you know? Click here to find out more about this position.
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Editor's Choice
Garden Events:
Join Me For a Drink!
Today, Friday Dec. 6
4:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Reiman Gardens has a fun monthly event, "Reiman After Hours." Each month there's a different drink, inspired by the season. This month (today), the theme is juniper berries, so they're serving up gin and tonics. I'll be there, so join me if you can! Click here for details.
Photo © xavievolution9/fotolia
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Monthly To-Do
 What a great inexpensive gift for a gardening friend! Click here for printable pages and instruction to make your own The Iowa Gardener garden journal!
Relax! The lovely thing about gardening is that everything has its season. Like your plants, now is the time to rest and focus on other things.
Keep poinsettias evenly but not overly watered. If they dry out and wilt, they will not recover! And their leaves will yellow if kept soggy. Position them in a bright spot away from cold drafts and blasts of heat from a vent or fireplace.
Cut evergreens from your yard. They make beautiful holiday decorations. Just remember that each cut is a pruning cut, so do so with care.
If you clean a wood burning stove or fireplace, dump the ashes on your compost heap. Ash is a great source of phosphorous.
Don't fertilize houseplants this month. With our shorter days and cooler houses, they're not growing much.
Check on forced bulbs. If necessary, water to keep soil evenly moist. Once you see shoots one-half to one inch high, take out the pots and put them in the sunniest, brightest spot you have.
Evaluate your landscape in winter. Think of good places to plant evergreens and trees or shrubs with interesting bark come spring. You'll be able to enjoy them next winter.
For a printer-friendly version of this list, click here.
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Garden Quote of the Month
"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas."
- Calvin Coolidge
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