Gardening involves things that can be done routinely at the same time every year.

Though weather my influence timing of these tasks, here are some things to check off your list in December.

Cleaning and clean-up:

By now you should have cleaned your tools, disconnected hoses, sprinklers, and any other water features. If you have not done these things, this is your last opportunity before a hard freeze. It is also a good time to sharpen your tools or have them sharpened.

Winter is often described as cold, dark and dreary:

The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way. We are lucky to live in a region with several native plants that offer winter color.

During this bleak time, a colorful native garden just might be the remedy for those cold and dreary winter days. The perfect plant to add in the spring is winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata).

You will need a male and a female. It is a compact native shrub that loses its leaves in autumn, showing bare branches bursting with crimson berries throughout the winter months.

Winter interest:

Another wonderful plant for winter interest is a red twig dogwood.

Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) has beautiful red stems. It grows well in sun or shade, has a compact habit of about five feet, and tolerates a full range of soils. They should be pruned heavily in the spring every three years because the brightest color is on new wood.

Evergreens for the holiday:

As a general rule, evergreens require little pruning, so resist the urge to go into your garden and take off branches. Never prune a pine in winter as it could seriously damage the tree.

Purchase your greens from your local garden center. Don’t risk harming a wonderful tree. You can snip off a few holly stems from your garden to bring inside.

Take care of our feathered friends:

Shrubs with colorful berries provide excellent nutrition for winter wildlife and birds. Other excellent choices are northern bayberry, southern arrowwood, and chokeberry. Food and water for birds become scarce once plants go dormant and water freezes.

Spotted lanternfly:

Be on the lookout for spotted lanternfly egg masses.

For information on what to look for and how to destroy the eggs: extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly.

If you see egg masses, scrape them off, double bag them and throw them away. You can also place the eggs into alcohol or hand sanitizer to kill them. In order to kill the eggs, it is critical that you “pop” the eggs if you are not double-bagging them or putting them in alcohol or hand sanitizer.

Catalogs:

December brings the first new catalogs and communications from seed companies for next season’s supplies. It is fun to browse them, looking for new items to grow.

This is a good time to look for sales on garden tools and supplies as well. Check out your local garden center for sales, too.

Gift-giving:

Remember your gardening friends when planning your holiday giving. You can get them tools, garden gloves, gardening books or other publications, journals, or even a heated birdbath. Any of these will be a hit.

“Growing Green” is contributed by Diane Dorn, Lehigh County Extension Office Staff, and Master Gardeners. Information: Lehigh County Extension Office, 610-391-9840; Northampton County Extension Office, 610-813-6613.