• Choose and plant sasanqua camellias and early long-blooming azaleas.
• Purchase poinsettias early in the month.
• Continue to plant winter vegetables.
• Cut off flower spikes that have bloomed from dwarf foxgloves and delphiniums.
• Don't prune tropicals.
• Prune grapes, low-chill raspberries, and native plants.
• Prune wisteria by cutting off unwanted long twiners. Prune roots of vines that fail to bloom.
• Mow cool-season lawns, including bermuda that's overseeded with winter ryegrass.
• Do not mow warm season lawns, except St. Augustine (if it continues to grow).
• Continue fertilizing cymbidiums until flowers open.
• Feed cool season flowers with a complete fertilizer for growth and bloom.
• Feed shade plants for bloom; give adequate light.
• Feed cool-season lawns, but don't feed warm season lawns (except for bermuda that's overseeded with winter ryegrass).
• Don't water succulents growing in the ground.
• Keep cymbidiums damp but not soggy.
• Remember to keep all bulbs, especially potted ones, well watered.
• Water dichondra if rains aren't adequate; water St. Augustine grass if it continues to grow.
• Turn off the irrigation systems of all other types of warm-season lawns once they have gone brown.
• Spray peach and apricot trees for peach leaf curl if you didn't do so in November.
• Protect cymbidiums' bloom spikes from snails.
• Control rust on cool-season lawns by fertilizing and mowing them.
• Control aphids with insecticidal soap and beneficial insects.
• Prepare beds for planting bare-root roses next month.
• Harvest winter vegetables as soon as they mature.

Although ponds need little routine maintenance, there are a few end-of-season tasks that are essential if you want to keep your plants and fish in good condition.

• Protect the pond from the worst of the leaf fall with a fine-mesh net. Anchor it just above the surface of the pond. This is not practical for a large pond, but it is useful for a small one. Remove the leaves regularly, and eventually take the netting off.
• If you are not able to cover your pond with a net, or don't like the appearance of one, use a fish net or rake to remove leaves regularly — not only from the surface, but from below the surface as well. Too many leaves in the water can pollute the pond.
• Submerged oxygenating plants, such as elodea and rampant growers like myriophyllum, will eventually clog the pond unless you net or rake them out periodically. This is a good time to thin them simply by raking out the excess.
• Trim back dead or dying plants from around the edge of the pond, especially where the vegetation is likely to fall into the water.
• To divide overgrown water plants, first remove the plants from their containers. It may be necessary to cut some roots to do so.
• Some plants can simply be pulled apart by hand, but others will have such a tight mass of entangled roots that you need to chop them into smaller pieces with a spade.
• Discard any pieces you don't want for replanting, then pot up the others in planting baskets. Cover the top of the baskets with gravel to prevent soil disturbance.

Without a doubt, the freshest Christmas tree is a living tree. Many families choose to buy and plant a living tree each year, then plant it, along with the memories it holds, into the landscape. But bringing a live tree into the house and decorating it increases the risk of killing the tree. For a successful experience, here are a few tips.

Choose the right tree. White pines, blue spruce, noble or Douglas firs are good choices. Store the tree in a cool, wind-protected area such as an unheated porch or garage for at least a week before bringing the tree into your home. For best results keep the tree inside 3-4 days. Using ice cubes is a great way to not only water but to keep the roots cool. (Don't forget a saucer for the excess water.) As with cut trees, be sure to keep your live tree away from heat sources and keep indoor temperatures cooler (60-65 deg). This will help the tree to stay dormant while in the house.

After the holidays, move the tree back to your garage for a week before planting. Add peat moss and organic compost to the hole to give the tree a good start. With proper care you'll have a living reminder of this year's Christmas joy, and a tree ready to serve as an outdoor decoration next year.