{"id":2053,"date":"2024-05-10T13:41:33","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T17:41:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/?page_id=2053"},"modified":"2025-04-28T15:26:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T19:26:53","slug":"2023-december","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/resources\/newsletters\/2023-december\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletter December 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"fullwidth-text-block\"><div class=\"container px-0\"><div class=\"row align-items-start\"><div class=\"col-12\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Neighborhood Gardener \u2013 December<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"intro\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/plants\/ornamentals\/poinsettia.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/images\/mgv\/plants\/poinsettia_loveyoupink680.jpg\" alt=\"A Love You Pink poinsettia with smaller petal-like bracts that are bright pink\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/visitor.constantcontact.com\/d.jsp?m=1102118090358&amp;p=oi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sign up for our e-newsletter<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.constantcontact.com\/safesubscribe.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/images\/mgv\/newsletter\/safe_subscribe_logo.jpg\" alt=\"safesubscribe logo\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gifts from the Garden<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/images\/mgv\/newsletter\/seed_packets_square.jpg\" alt=\"Handmade seed packets\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Instead of the usual gifts, how about giving your loved ones a gift from your garden? You can give seed packets or plantable cards filled with your favorite heirloom seeds. And even non-gardening friends would appreciate dried herbs or teas that you grew yourself.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/design\/outdoor-living\/gifts-from-the-garden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn how to make these gifts and more.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Holiday Gift Plants<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/images\/mgv\/newsletter\/anthurium_red_square.jpg\" alt=\"The bright red, shiny, heart-shaped bract of an anthurium, with a long yellow stamen\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Plants make wonderful holiday gifts; they bring a bit of nature indoors and many can be replanted in Florida landscapes. And there&#8217;s more than just poinsettias and amaryllis. Make your gift plant unique by putting it in a creative container and including a card with care information.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/design\/outdoor-living\/holiday-gift-plants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about a few of our favorite plants that we think would make great gifts for the holiday.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wendy&#8217;s Wanderings<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/images\/mgv\/newsletter\/wendy100.jpg\" alt=\"Wendy Wilber\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>As a gardener, I am delighted at this time of year because I get to bring a real, live tree into my house for at least a month, and it&#8217;s considered completely normal. Florida consumers have many choices when selecting a holiday tree: pre-lit artificial trees, unlit artificial trees, potted live trees, cut trees from out of state, and cut trees from a Florida tree farm.\u00a0Wendy gets real (about Florida Christmas trees).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Plant of the Month: Rosemary<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/images\/mgv\/newsletter\/rosemary_usda100.jpg\" alt=\"Close view of the needle-like foliage of rosemary\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Rosemary enhances both your cooking and your landscape. This member of the mint family is recommended for experienced and budding gardeners alike since it\u2019s easy to grow, drought tolerant, and relatively resistant to pests and diseases. Rosemary will thrive year-round, although it may need to be protected from freezes in colder areas of the state.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/plants\/edibles\/vegetables\/rosemary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about this hardy Mediterranean herb.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Petscaping<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/images\/mgv\/newsletter\/white_dog100.jpg\" alt=\"A white dog with a blue collar, joyfully running\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Petscaping&#8221; is a term used in discussions of landscape design. The idea is to protect beloved animals from poisonous plants and harmful chemicals, while also keeping those cherished landscape plants safe from curious (and sometimes destructive) pets.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/design\/types-of-gardens\/petscaping\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">This article on Gardening Solutions has the do&#8217;s and don&#8217;ts of petscaping.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">We Want Your Feedback<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/images\/mgv\/newsletter\/survey_icon100.png\" alt=\"An illustration of a computer screen showing an online survey\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>We want to hear from you! We want to know what you would like to learn about so we can continue creating content that is helpful to you. The survey should only take a couple of minutes, and we appreciate every response!\u00a0Please take this short survey about your horticulture education needs <em>(this survey is closed)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"month\">December in Your Garden<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/plants\/edibles\/vegetables\/kale.html\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/images\/mgv\/newsletter\/kale_usda100.jpg\" alt=\"Curly leafed kale\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Reliable cool-season vegetables to plant this month include cabbage, collards, kale, and broccoli. Inspect regularly for pests on indoor plants. Keep in mind that plant-specific temperature, light, and humidity are key to ensuring that indoor plants thrive. December is a good time to consider performing a soil test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more month-by-month gardening tips, check out the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/edis.ifas.ufl.edu\/topics\/calendars?audience=homeowner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Florida Gardening Calendar<\/a>. Three different editions of the calendar provide specific tips for each of Florida&#8217;s gardening regions\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/edis.ifas.ufl.edu\/publication\/EP451\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">North,<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/edis.ifas.ufl.edu\/publication\/EP450\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Central,<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/edis.ifas.ufl.edu\/publication\/EP452\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">South.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What&#8217;s Going On?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your Master Gardener Volunteer program or Extension office is having an event, be sure to&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:jsykes@ufl.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">share it with us.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/events\/\">Events Calendar<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"parent":1989,"menu_order":26,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"featured_post":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2053","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2053"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2053\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6095,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2053\/revisions\/6095"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu\/mastergardener\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}