Edmonton in December is Unseasonably Warm

graphic from Global Edmonton Facebook page

Tuesday we reached a high of almost 13 degrees Celsius while at the International Airport it was 10.2 Celsius and Grand Prairie was 9.6 Celsius.  It's been a long time since we were this warm in December as you can tell from the graphic.  I apologize for the left margin cut off.  Not sure what happened but suffice it to say...technology!  

Is December warmer or colder than usual where you live?  

November snowfall

 I have to remember to spritz my swag with water to keep it from drying out since it has yet to freeze to sustain it whole.  It has melted so much (remember the snowfall we had in November?) that now the walks are icy treacherous.  

I'm participating in a cookie exchange this weekend with the kids and attending Candlelight Christmas Saturday evening.  I've wanted to participate in a cookie exchange for a while and now that the kids are grown it seems an opportune time and they all seem keen on it.  

Candlelight Christmas 2013

Not much decorating has been done here yet but soon we must find a fresh cut tree for the living room and maybe a poinsettia. Have you decorated for Christmas?  Real tree or artificial?  Do you display collections at Christmas like nativities, nutcrackers (me), villages? 

#recordtemperatures  #CandlelightChristmas

December To Do List

•Pot up geranium cuttings in perlite or soil-less mixture and place under artificial light; keep evenly moist.

•Regularly check stored tubers and corms for mold and to be sure they don’t become completely dry.

•Clean houseplant foliage with a soft damp cloth; use an old clean toothbrush on fuzzy leaves.

•Buy gardening-related gifts for Christmas.

•Study the bones of your garden for form and balance. Do you have winter interest?  Do you have trees and shrubs that attract birds or have berries or seeds to add colour in the winter landscape?

•Make plans for next year’s garden projects.

•Send for seed and plant catalogues.

•Now is the time to catch up on reading all those gardening books and magazines you don’t have time for in summer.

•Visit garden centres; check out their Christmas displays, amarylis bulbs, poinsettias and garden related items.

•Visit Muttart Conservatory and enjoy the greenery and Christmas displays.
•Keep bird feeders clean and filled.

•Shovel snow onto garden beds and pile against basement walls.

•Keep paths ice-free with sand, small amounts of fertilizer, or commercial compounds that are plant safe.

•Plant your retired Christmas tree in a drift for winter interest and shelter for birds.  Use some branches to cover evergreen perennials such as dianthus, saxifrages, coral bells and bellflower.

•By the end of January, begin pruning deciduous trees (but not birch, maple, or shrubs that flower on last year’s growth).