WORTHINGTON — When I think about gardening in the winter, I think about how everything is quietly laid to rest under the snow, waiting for the warming days of spring to reemerge. And it’s a reminder for me that winter is a time to slow down. Mother nature invites us Minnesotans to do so by giving us cold temperatures, wind and snow!
As I struggled to come up with a good gardening related topic for the December master gardener volunteer column, I looked up plants that are associated with Christmas and the Winter Solstice. I learned there are many plants and traditions associated with them. I will share some of what I discovered below.
Poinsettias: This plant is native to Mexico and was first introduced in the U.S. around 1820. Over time, they were cultivated to be hardier and by the mid-20th century were becoming mainstream as a Christmas decoration. They are typically red and green and can be symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem in the Christian faith.
Holly: Because it stays green and beautiful in the winter, it was used as decoration throughout homes. Think Deck the Halls with boughs of holly. With its sharp leaves and red berries, it is also symbolic of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus.
Mistletoe: Associated with fertility and peace, traditionally invites people to share a kiss when standing under it.
Christmas Trees (Pine, Fir, Spruce): Trees are brought indoors to represent life during winter, a tradition with roots in Germany. This tradition came to America with German immigrants and the first Christmas tree displayed in the White House was in 1891.
Yule Log: A tradition of burning a large log, often Oak, to bring warmth and good fortune for the coming year.
I hope you enjoyed some Christmas season plant facts. I enjoyed looking them up.
Try to take advantage of the slow down the winter season can bring and daydream about your gardening plans for next spring!
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