I almost decided to skip this month because after all who really gardens in December in Utah. But maybe we need a chance to chat about our beloved blooms during our hemisphere’s darkest month, right?

A December snowfall at Sego Lily Flower Farm

Outside-

Most likely your soil isn’t quite frozen yet, meaning you can still plant the last of the bulbs you’ve bought with the best intentions. While not ideal, it happens to all of us sometime.
The same goes for cleanup. If you haven’t yet, clean up anything that might reseed more than you want or anything diseased.
Postpone other tidying up if you can manage it. Lots of beneficial insects live in overwintering plant matter, so leave it for late winter or early spring clean up.
Hold off doing any pruning of trees or shrubs until things warm up later in late winter or early spring. A rule to remember-Don’t prune in any month that ends in “R” unless the branch has one of the 3 “D’s” going on. The 3 “D’s” are dead, diseased, or dumb -for example if a branch is blocking your driveway you can prune it to get it out of the way.

Inside- (you know that there will be at least a few snowy or rainy days this month)

Sharpen your tools! Treat those hard working tools to a little spa day. They will work much better for you when they're sharp and clean.
Divide your dahlia tubers. This gives you an idea of how much space you'll need to plant all your tubers, and if you have some to share.
Inventory your seeds
Make a list of gardening related gifts for your family to get you! Like gift certificates to Johnny’s Selected Seeds or a local nursery.

Just germinated Lisianthus seedlings-so tiny!!

Seeds to start -

Direct sown flowers-Any cool season direct sown flowers can go out now, they will wait for just the right conditions to germinate. Ammi, agrostemma, larkspur, nigella, bells of Ireland, bachelor buttons, bupleurum are all great options
Indoors- Lisianthus and trachelium, you can also start slow to germinate perennials like delphinium.

Happy gardening in December! See you with a new list in January.