Judy Terry
| Special to the Press-Citizen
There is no denying that December is a dark month. Nighttime seems to come around 4:30 in the afternoon. Our gardens are bare, the trees are leafless, it’s a gloomy month. Really?
Perhaps, but, I think this month is also full of light, starting with the inches and inches of snow we received last week. Coming at Thanksgiving, it was hardly convenient. But on another side, we need the moisture and our perennials are feeling quite snug now, happily resting under their white blanket.
And Coralville must rival Paris, with lights surrounding every tree on “the strip.” Rooftops, doorways, evergreen trees throughout the county are keeping this month on high beam.
Holidays, no matter how you celebrate them, make December a month on the bright side.
As do poinsettias, typically red, but now showing up in sparkling blue and pink and I think I saw some orange. Granted, there is a lot of paint included, but they are certainly eye-catching.
The Christmas cactus, too, is a plant that has gained momentum through the years. It is easy to grow, just water once a week and it should be putting out buds right now. My Thanksgiving cactus bloomed most of the month of November and is now about finished.
The different look between the two is easy. Christmas cacti have rounded tops on their leaves, whereas the Thanksgiving has small prickly shoots on the end of the branches.
Some sources say the Christmas cactus needs about six weeks of dark time to set the blooms. A closet would work well for this hibernation period, or a spare room. But I forget to do this and I still get flowers on mine. Neglect sometimes works!
One other holiday tradition is the hanging of mistletoe. Did you know mistletoe is a parasite? Do we entertain parasites? Yes, I guess we do as we find it decorating many doorways and couples happily kissing under it.
Mistletoe grows on oak, apple and other broadleaf trees. It has white berries that are basically poisonous, as is the whole plant. The habit of kissing under it started in the first century A.D., but did not become popular in the United States until the 1800s.
Real Christmas trees have great competition with the artificial trees, and it is a toss-up which is most practical. If you do prefer a live tree, and have space in your yard, it makes a warm place for wintering birds, especially when decorated with bird seed.
December can be a cold, dark month, but with blooming houseplants and lights on the trees, outside and in, it becomes the bright light that ushers in winter.
Note: My book of past Press-Citizen columns, “Garden Walks with Judy,” is available at Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City and on Amazon.
Judy Terry is a garden columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
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