Closing out the year…

By Cindy Poore

While October is my favorite month in the garden, December is my favorite month inside. Next to the fire. Winter doesn’t officially begin until the 21st. It is starting to get cold and our plants are showing it. The frosts we’ve had, haven’t really hit most of my plants hard here in Phelan as my gazanias are still blooming and looking great. Wrightwood  has gotten a few  snows already however,  and plants are still buried!

Wherever you are, please remember that even though it’s cold, your plants still need occasional watering. Even with the advent of snow. Snow does not have as much water in it as you would think due to the air factor. Of course, you don’t want to water if it is freezing, just keep in mind that plants will need more than just snow to survive the winter.

One other thing that is very important this time of year. PLEASE check your valves and drip filters to see that they are well insulated. If we installed them, the valves (where the water is released into the rest of the system) are insulated on the “constant pressure” side. But the whole unit should also be insulated with an insulating blanket and a cover to keep them dry. Keep in mind, the best defense is PREVENTION. Anywhere there is water is subject to freezing and potential damage.

If you don’t have a box over your valves, you might try to place an upside down ice chest over them. A trick I learned from two clients. Very effective. And oftentimes cheaper than the covers sold for the purpose.

Remember, we will be there for you if you have problems, so keep our number handy and give us a call if you need help.

There are so many things to remember and be thankful for this past year and so many exciting things coming up for my family and I will bet yours as well.  When you get together with your friends and loved ones this holiday season, and EVERY day really, remember to tell them how much you love and appreciate them. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Merry Christmas to You and Yours

From All of us at Perfection Landscape!

Gift Suggestions:

The very best gift anyone can give, is a memory. After all, what else will travel through the years with us? So then, do something memorable with your loves. I remember making popcorn balls with my sister. Sticky, hot buttered fingers and tasty fun! In colors! What do you remember? Do it again.

Ok, on my soapbox again. Who wouldn’t want better health? A gift subscription to your (and mine) favorite gym, Kokomo Fitness in Hesperia! It’s a no-brainer. Get a trainer!  Call them at (760) 995-3366. (They do not pay for this suggestion, I’m just a raving fan and client!)

The other gift suggestion you can’t beat with a stick is a book! Pick one tailored to your recipient’s tastes. Here are a few

of suggestions:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom

The Greatest Minds and Ideas of all Time by Will Durant

They are all on my list Santa!

December 2013 Garden Tasks

It is still not too late to plant bulbs and you may still find some bargains from the catalogues or at the nurseries.

December is the very BEST time to sow poppy seeds for a spectacular view come this spring, with just a little encouragement from some rain.

And hey, did you know you can collect seed from your spent flowers?

My granddaughter and I collected seeds and made special seed envelopes  to give as gifts. So fun!

Move your tender potted plants to a sheltered space under a patio, or in a sun room if possible to overwinter.

You can protect planted tender shrubs by covering them with  a cloth cover on those evenings and mornings when the temps dip near freezing. Just remember to remove coverings during the warm part of the day. Or try a mulch of straw to protect the core of the plant.

Did you remember to change the batteries in your battery operated sprinkler clocks when time changed? If not, do it now. Battery-operated clocks will stick ON if the battery is weak. Only way to turn off the station is to insert a new battery and then use the clock to shut it off.

Remove any fruit still hanging on to branches and clean up all leaf and fruit debris under the tree. This is ESSENTIAL to prevent spread of disease and pests which overwinter.

January and February (or when all the leaves have dropped from your tree) is the best time to apply a dormant oil. Dormant oil is a common, low risk, organic pest control method. We are scheduling  preventative weed control and pest control applications now so give us a call soon, because our schedule (which is limited by the weather sometimes) is filling up and we would like to help you have a healthier garden in 2014.

My Favorite Recipes

December, and Christmas especially, brings forth the memories of crazy good food we grew up with. The trend now is to go with healthy, clean eating. You could argue that carrot cake is a vegetable or fruit cake is… well…, fruit. Right?

But sometimes you just gotta give in to a little tradition. And, not everyone is on a diet. I think.  Even though this recipe is  really LOADED with sugar, it could be a rare occasion sweet treat for some. I mean, it’s flavor is so intense, you really can’t eat a lot of it and it DOES have some actual fruit in it! (wink, wink)

Aunt Ginny’s Candied Orange Peels

3 large oranges

¾ cup of juice from oranges

2 Tbs light corn syrup

2 ¾ cups sugar, divided

Cut the peel on each orange into quarters then remove the peel sections and reserve the actual orange for juicing. Slice peel into ¼” wide strips. You should have about 4 ½ cups. Juice the flesh of the orange and reserve, adding water if needed to make ¾ cup.

Place orange peels in a medium size non-aluminum, sauce pan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook, covered for 15 minutes. Drain the peels in a colander. Boil the reserved ¾ cup orange juice/water, the syrup and 2 cups of the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add peels. Simmer stirring occasionally, 35 to 55 minutes until translucent and tender.

Remove peels with slotted spoon to a large rack on top of a baking pan lined with wax paper. Let drain 5 minutes. Separate peels and dry about 1 hour. Place the remaining ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl or zip lock bag. Add the peels and toss or shake until evenly coated with sugar. Transfer sugar-coated peels to racks to air dry, about 2 hours. Store in an air tight container for up to 1 month.

“California is a fine place to live – if you happen to be an orange.” – Fred Allen