Photo and text: Nanna and Frederik.

In a few days it is December which means it is time for the Christmas season. It sure is a great month as a more festive and bright time here in winter. In our household it is Nanna, who loves the Christmas season, but I too get caried away with her enthusiasm for Christmas music, decorations and all the other Christmas traditions that this holiday brings.

One of the traditions that is close to my heart is the Christmas decorations. This year we have the perfect location to make our decorations – the greenhouse. I find it exceptional to sit in the greenhouse with a steaming hot cup of tea, lit candles, listening to the sound of Michael Bublé’s “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” and making Christmas wreaths. Every year we always get quite competitive with who makes the best-looking wreath. I must remind myself that you cannot win every time when Nanna confidently gloats.

As a gardener December means a break. The leaves have fallen, perennials are withering, pots are being emptied and what is left is being stored to avoid frost. Recently, I have been busy transplanting hundreds of spring bulbous plant in pots and beds. The thought of the play of colours which awaits us in the spring, when the light and the warmth return, makes me hopeful and happy. 

We will continuedly use the greenhouse during the winter, but now it is time to focus on Christmas. The Christmas lights are untangled and hung up. A lot of candles have been put on shelves and Christmas decorations are welcoming this great tradition.

I, in contrary to Nanna, am not a big fan of knick-knacks. I prefer the saying “less is more”. This may not include the number of pots and plants I feel like I must own. Although I do like ornaments which the nature itself have made. In autumn we made heather wreaths in purple nuances when the heather was blooming. Even though heather that has been dried should last longer, they still fade in the greenhouse due to humidity and the sun, but with some golden spray paint they are given new life and fit perfectly into the Christmas theme in the greenhouse. If you have hydrangeas in the garden, you can snip the heads of the hydrangeas and put them up to dry. Later, when they are dry, you can use the golden spray on the hydrangeas as well – the result is incredibly beautiful.

For me Christmas time also means Amaryllis time. I just love this beautiful bulbous plant because of its many qualities. The plant is just amazingly pretty to look at when it is blooming with its big funnel-shaped flowers. And it is also a nice indoor plant. The leaves are shaped like a sword similar to the Clivia plant which belongs to the same family as the Amaryllis.

Should you choose to keep the bulbs for cultivation indoor, it will be necessary for the bulbs to be kept cold for about 6-8 weeks to make them bloom again for the next winter. All you have to do is to place the plant a dark and cold place. Irrigation is not necessary. After 6-8 weeks, the bulb can come out again and then you carefully and gradually water it as it evolves. 

We wish you all a lovely December. Finally, we want to encourage others to bring some light in this dark time of the year. Light a candle and put up some Christmas lights. It may sound mundane, but it really makes a difference.

Take care and we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Best wishes
Frederik and Nanna