Dec 20th
'Twas the month of December
And inside our house
There was cocoa and embers
Enjoyed with family and spouse.
It was tempting to sit and enjoy and relax
But I needed to shovel and seal all the cracks.
Cleaning and clearing and mulching called, too
As did wishing a happy new year to you!
Hello, friends!
My internet was down all day, but there’s not much going on in the garden here. I meant to plant Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) a few months back, but I dropped the ball. The redtwig dogwoods are looking dramatic peeking outside the front door, though, so I’m enjoying those, and somehow there’s still a single Knockout rose holding on for dear life in the backyard.
I need to remember to water the houseplants during this week of distracted wrapping and baking. It will be just my immediate family over here for Christmas and New Year this year, but in order for it to feel like a holiday, I’m not letting myself off the hook: Still cooking our traditional Italian Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, albeit without the need for extension tables, and still watching “Die Hard” as has become our tradition (that’s a Christmas movie, right?)
Whatever your tradition, whatever you celebrate — and of course, even if you don’t — I’m wishing you and your loved ones relaxation, peace and health as the year comes to a close. And a much better 2021 for all.
I’m going to take next week off, so I’ll see you in January.
💡If you do one thing this week…
Tomorrow is the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and also the first official day of winter. This means we’ll start getting longer periods of sunlight every day until the summer solstice in June.
But this year, the solstice brings something special: The “Christmas Star” will be visible in the night sky because the planets Saturn and Jupiter will be the closest they’ve been to each other in 800 years. This proximity will make them appear as one giant star in the southwest sky. The last time such a conjunction was visible to the naked eye was in 1226, so this is quite a historic event.
So if you do one thing this week, go outside at sunset and look at the horizon to the west. You won’t get another chance until 2080.
💡If you do one thing next week…
Shorter day lengths and a greater distance from the sun over winter mean houseplants don’t get as much light as they do during other times of year. To maximize their exposure, place them by a south- or west-facing window (away from radiators and heat vents) and rotate pots with each watering. Also, reduce water and fertilizer until spring.
🌱📅Free shipping upgrade
I can’t guarantee delivery before Christmas (that’s up to the USPS), but I’ll do my part: If you order today, I’ll ship first thing tomorrow morning, and an upgrade to 2-day Priority Mail (from the s-l-o-w media mail service you’ll be charged for) will be on me.
To get your expedited shipping, be sure to use this link. It will be available until noon on Tuesday.
📧Send me your feedback!
I welcome your comments and suggestions, so please send them along — as well as any topics you’d like to see covered and questions you’d like answered in the Question & Answer section of The Weekly Dirt.
If you’re sending photos of your garden, please include your full name and the name of anyone depicted, your hometown, details about your plant or garden, the name of the person who took the photo, and a sentence granting permission for its use in this newsletter and archives.
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