When it comes to decorating for Advent and Christmas, I'm of two minds. On the one hand, I live in a log cabin, which just begs for natural decorations and flowers forced inside. I'm also a garden writer, so, in winter, I surround myself with green and growing plants. Otherwise, I might lose my ever-loving mind. Our mantel decorations are a mix of the natural and shiny. Silver works so nicely with natural evergreens and bottlebrush trees. This year my mantel sports bottlebrush trees and silver platters along with small silver bowls and a simple green wreath. I'm also growing paperwhites and amaryllis. I planted white and green amaryllis to extend them after the holiday and into the new year. Paperwhites and amaryllis make great Christmas decor, and they go on after the holidays are over. On the other hand, I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s so I'm a fanatic for...

December Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is all about Christmas Flowers at RDR. While waiting for the big day, I've been decorating and using some of my favorite Christmas flowers like amaryllis in my color scheme. This year, I've focused upon pink, white, red and green. For other amaryllis colors, see last year's Bloom Day post. Trust me, growing an amaryllis is easy. Hippeastrum 'Magic Green' amaryllis is a tall drink of water in a sunny window. Over a month ago, I planted several new white and green amaryllis (Hippeastrum) because my log house can be dark on winter days. White and green glow against log walls so, this year, I planted 'Envy' and 'Magic Green.' I wish I'd done a repeat of 'White Nymph,' a double. 'White Nymph' amaryllis from last year was a show stopper. These colors also transition well into January looking good even after the holidays. I grew a couple of red...

I began forcing hyacinths in vases several years ago. I became enamored of the process, and it's now a ritual to take out the vases, wash all of them in soapy water and get them ready for their hyacinth bulbs. They spend most of the year in a broom closet in our kitchen on shelves Bill built for me. This closet backs up to the dog run and stays cool all year, essential for forcing. Clean hyacinth vases look like jewels on the kitchen countertop. In July, I ordered the forcing and exhibition hyacinth collection from Van Engelen Wholesale Bulbs. This is the same collection I bought last year. When the bulbs arrived mid-August, I put them in the refrigerator in a paper sack to chill them. About four weeks ago, I took out four and planted them in a couple of forcing bowls, but I saved the rest for my hyacinth vases. Bulbs need...

Have you ever wanted a greenhouse? Most obsessive gardeners do, and who could blame them? Growing plants in a greenhouse is one of those exquisite pleasures Victorian gardeners understood. A greenhouse or sunroom full of plants gets a gardener through the cold, dark days of winter. The greenhouse and cold frames on a cool morning. Notice the condensation on the windows. Everything inside is nice and warm. This is the third winter for our greenhouse, and we've figured out a few things after the first two years of growing. Here are my greenhouse musings from last year when it was eternal summer all winter long. After reading these, you may be green with envy, but may I give you some advice before you order that freedom greenhouse kit like I did? Inside the greenhouse, the scent is heavenly because the string of pearls plant blooms most of winter. Soon, I'll start sweet pea seeds, and have lily...