Dear $$firstname$$,

Season’s greetings! Whether you’re enjoying a winter wonderland or soaking up the spirit of the season in a warmer locale, we hope that the beauty this time of year brings is something you’re experiencing with friends and family.

Did you know that more than 50 million poinsettias are sold each holiday season? With proper care, you can keep yours blooming year-round. Read on!

With New Year’s resolutions around the corner, one of ours is to make your  Garden Club the very best it can be. That’s why we’re asking you to chime in on a possible new name for your club. Let us know what you think!

HAVE A FRIEND who loves to garden? Feel free to forward this newsletter! If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please use this link to sign up for yourself.

Wishing you a joyous holiday and a happy New Year!
--From the editors of your favorite backyard magazines.

READ ON TO DISCOVER...

• Plant of the Month
• Yard Smarts
• Question of the Month
• Newsletter Survey
• Keeping Poinsettias Beautiful
• Frugal Gardener Tip of the Month

Submit Your Story

Plant of the Month

Snowdrop
It’s easy to see how the snowdrop got its name. This delightful plant is one of the first to bloom in spring, often while there’s still snow on the ground.

It’s easy to grow, too. Snowdrops require virtually no maintenance and will readily spread. When the plants become too crowded, simply lift and divide the bulbs after they bloom, before the strappy foliage dies back.

Botanical name: Galanthus nivalis.
Bloom time: Late winter to early spring.
Hardiness: Zones 3 to 8.
Flower Colors: White with green-tipped inner petals.
Flower Shape: Three outer petals surround inner petals in a drooping teardrop shape.
Height: 4 to 6 inches.
Light: Partial shade.
Soil: Moist, well-draining.
Planting: In autumn, plant bulbs 3 to 4 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart.

Backyard hint: Snowdrops are especially attractive in naturalized settings and under deciduous trees and shrubs. They work well in borders and rock gardens, too.

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Yard Smarts

No-Rust Garden Tools
Here’s a tried-and-true method for cleaning the dirt off your garden tools while protecting the metal. At the end of the day, shove the blade of your shovel or other garden tool into a bucket of sand mixed with vegetable oil. The sand’s abrasive quality will clean off the dirt, and the oil will coat the tool, preventing rust.

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Question of the Month

Burning Beauty
Q: I received this shrub several years ago, and the reddish-orange fruit lasts through late winter. Can you tell me more about it?  –Bob Maynard, Piedmont, Ohio

Melinda: This fall beauty is a relative of burning bush. It is native to the woodlands of New York and can be found as far south as Florida and west to Texas.

Its distinctive fruit capsule led to common names like strawberry-bush and hearts-a-burstin’. Also know as American euonymus (Euonymus americanus), the plant begins to attract attention when the fruit develops in fall. It grows 4 to 6 feet tall and its loose suckering form makes it a good plant for naturalizing a garden area.

See more of Melinda’s answers

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Newsletter Survey

We want to give you exactly what you want in your Garden Club, which may mean a new name! Click here to tell us what you would like your Garden Club to be called. 

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Keeping Your Poinsettia Beautiful

Proper care of this popular Christmas plant should start during transport. When you first purchase a poinsettia, protect it from frigid outdoor temperatures. Have the seller wrap it before you take it outside, and make sure your vehicle is preheated before you place the poinsettia inside.

To continue proper care, set your plant near a sunny window. For ideal conditions, maintain a temperature between 65-70 degrees during daylight hours. Then move the plant to a slightly cooler spot at night.

Also be aware that too much or too little watering can harm the plant. Underwatering can cause the bracts to wilt, turn brown or drop entirely. Overwatering, on the other hand, may prevent proper aeration of the soil, causing the leaves to yellow or the roots to die and decay. For watering, use this rule of thumb: If the top inch of the soil feels dry, water. If it’s still wet, don’t.

Avoid placing the poinsettia in drafty areas near doors or heating vents. Both hot and cold drafts can injure the plant.

For more information on poinsettia care, click here.

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Frugal Gardener Tip of the Month

Here’s the Scoop
Recycle a half-gallon plastic milk jug to make a scoop for birdseed—the handle is already built in! I’ve been using this idea for many years. It’s free and takes only a few minutes to cut. You can use these to scoop other items, too. –Trish Toczko, Richmond, Virginia

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More from your favorite gardening/birding magazines:

• --Garden Planning
  
• --Welcome Birds
  
• --Amaryllis Bulbs
• --Tropical Beauties

It’s Your Club. As a valued member, we want to hear your gardening stories, tips and ideas. Click here.

Step Back to the Victory Era!

The editors of Reminisce magazine bring you Reminisce Through the Decades: The 1940s, a 6-hour-plus, three-DVD set of real-life stories from the ’40s! For more information, go to www.reminisce.com.

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