Welcome, December!

Thea here - 

The Capital region has been enjoying warm temperatures lately and it's given us all some extra time to get our gardens cleaned up and ready for Winter.

Okay, I'm going to be perfectly frank.  Winter is not my favorite season, but it's in my top four. There are parts of it I really love, and you probably do as well.  Like hot chocolate with lots of mini marshmallows, and parties, and shopping, and baking, and eating, and that first snow fall and tree limbs precisely outlined with a snow, and Hallmark Channel's lineup of holiday movies...

Every evening I drive home through my neighborhood and the houses and apartment buildings are starting to glow with holiday colors, hologram spotlights, fresh wreathes and pine roping on fences. Oh, and let us not forget the blow up Santa and his workshop helpers.  The littles in my family really get a kick out of them and during the day we walk a few blocks, noting the decorations.  Mondays are the best for walks, of course, since our neighbors have been busy elves over the weekend.

I was out early this morning and saw lots of Christmas trees in pick up trucks and station wagons, heading home to be decorated.  Are you partial to fresh trees, too? Good advice: if you're putting up a fresh tree, give it a good soak overnight before putting it up.  I usually cut off the bottom and soak in warm water.  You might notice your tree gives off that wonderfully pungent evergreen fragrance.

Being a gardener, I like to keep my decorating natural. So I'm definitely using my evergreens like holly and magnolia leaves from my garden to create floral designs for my table and sideboards. I haven't had much luck keeping poinsettia alive all year, but I love them surrounding the fireplace. So I'll buy them soon.

My only words of wisdom to kickstart your December, it to do everything with deliberation and with a smile on your face. In other words, slow down and have some fun! If you have time, leave a comment and let us know what your favorite decorating ideas to welcome the holidays to your home.

P.S. - Holiday Lights - a perfect family experience: just click the links

In Maryland:  Brookside Gardens in Wheaton/Silver Springs. FMI:

https://www.montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/brookside-gardens/garden-of-lights/

In Northern Virginia: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna. FMI:

https://www.novaparks.com/events/winter-walk-of-lights