Advice From A Ridgefield Gardening Expert On Christmas Flowers & Trees

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The longest night of the year is just a few weeks away, but Ridgefield gardeners remain focused on light, life and growing things.

The town is fortunate enough to still be enjoying some milder days in the beginning of the December. Lisa Chuma, a member of The Ridgefield Garden Club, says homeowners should take advantage of that to get ahead of the deer.

"Wrap any tree trunks, especially smaller trees, in burlap or deer fencing to keep deer from either eating the bark or rubbing their antlers and ruining your small trees." Practice the same preventive strategy on any delicate or small shrubs. Wrapping them in burlap will protect them from snow and ice damage, as well as deer, she said.

Inside Ridgefield homes in December, poinsettias rule. Your mileage may vary, but Chuma told Patch she is able to keep her poinsettias fresh as daisies into Easter. Her secret is to give them just the right amount of water — about a cup every two or three days.

"You don't want them to sit in water, but just consistently give a little bit of water to satisfy." She also makes a point of removing any dried up or dead leaves or flower petals during the month.

Although their vivid red and green coloration has made poinsettias December's darling, it's not the only indoor flowering plant deserving attention, Chuma said. Narcissus papyraceus, one of a few species known as paperwhite, "looks like a little white daffodil," the gardening expert said.

"And you can just put the bulbs in soil or even just a little gravel or decorative little rocks in a sunny spot, keep them watered, and they'll grow tall and get pretty little white flowers in a few weeks."

Amaryllis bulbs planted now will bloom in late January, Chuma said, but are worth the wait, yielding huge trumpet-like flowers that are "really pretty … reds and whites and pinks." You can score amaryllis flowers already potted in grocery stores as well as garden centers, "and that's a good way to add some Christmasy color to your home."

But the main botanical event in December is the Christmas tree, and Chuma has some advice on how to get the most out of your live cut. She suggests you have your tree vendor cut a "good two to three inches off the trunk" before netting it up and strapping it to the roof of your car.

"So it will absorb as much water as possible when you get it into your house," Chuma said. "And just keep it watered, consistently, for the first few days, it might be several times a day."

Make sure your tree stand is large enough to provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. And shocking as it may seem, all your tree needs is fresh water, so hold off using any of those powdered additives.

All that water will not only help your tree keep its needles and stay healthy and green through Epiphany, but minimize the risk of fires.