It has been a tradition for the December issue of the Journal to include a wish list of gifts suitable for giving to a gardener of your acquaintance. It is also possible for the reader to highlight or circle (in red) preferred items and leaving their copy of the December Journal open to serve as a subtle hint to gift givers in the family. These gifts are the choices of area gardeners and are available in garden centers, garden supply catalogs or on "The Web." Prices are approximate and may vary.

1. Heavy leather gloves, suitable for hand-to-hand combat with roses. May also be found in fireplace shops & welder's supply outlets. Should be gauntlet style, reaching to the elbows or above. $10 to $25.
2. A Trug, either plastic or wood. A shallow basket ideal for carrying plants & tools to the garden or bringing cut flowers or produce from the garden. $13 to $35.
3. Minimum-maximum thermometer. Dial or digital. Essential if records of weather conditions are kept as many gardeners do. A soil thermometer will be welcome of the min-max thermometer is not available. $15 to $35.
4. An inverted goldfinch feeder. A tubular feeder with perches above the access holes. This make feeding difficult for any birds other than goldfinches. Without competition, goldfinches are attracted to this feeder. Not just a novelty... it really works. $24 to $35.
5. A subscription to Garden Gate magazine. This magazine carries no advertising. Well illustrated & written for gardeners, not botanists. Has many good suggestions. $24 for six issues per year.
6. A Book. Even if your gardener already has a book, another won't hurt too much. A personal recommendation is "The Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Gardening." Technical enough to be informative but not to the point of losing the well informed gardener. Well illustrated but not a "picture book." $35 for the March 2000 edition.
7. A "Garden Hopper" is not an insect but a wheeled seat with storage space underneath. Those who have one speak well of it. Keeps the gardener's knees & seat clean & dry, even when the ground is wet. $30.
8. Genuine Haws watering can. Long neck & upturned "rose." Waters plants gently but thoroughly. Reaches in to less accessible places. Five quart plastic model $25, one gallon metal version $80.
9. Garden cart with large wheels. Move bags of topsoil, bulk mulch, plants & tools anywhere in the garden easily. A piece of plywood across the top makes it a portable worktable. $100 to $250.
10. For the ultimate pruning tool, a small but capable electric chain saw on an extendable pole (up to 96 inches) for clean cutting of inaccessible branches. As safe as any tool that is sharp and powered. Easier to use than a pruning saw on a pole. $130. For the home arborist who prefers getting up close & personal with the task there is always the folding pruning saw that will fit conveniently in an equipment bag, tote bucket or trug. $15 to $30.

There are many other gifts such as a trickle irrigation system – buy the components and install it yourself or hire a contractor. It may be a bit expensive but if the garden and gardener deserve it, it's an excellent gift. The ultimate in convenience for the gift giver is the Gift Card. The gift is for the recipient to decide. The amount is the giver's only decision. We hope this article will serve as an aid to the spouse, relative or friend of a much deserving gardener. Let your conscience and checkbook be your guide.

1. In the first week, a tree in your home will consume as much as a quart of water per day.
   
2. The top selling Christmas trees are Balsam fir, Douglas fir; Fraser fir, Noble fir, Scotch pine and White pine.
   
3. An acre of Christmas trees provides for the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.
   
4. 34-36 million Christmas trees were harvested in the United States in 2001.
   
5. A Christmas tree takes seven to ten years to mature.
   
6. In 2001, 24 percent of United States households had a real tree, 52 percent had an artificial tree and 23 percent had no tree.
   
7. Artificial trees will last for six years in your home, but for centuries in a landfill.
   
8. There are over 500 Christmas tree growers in Illinois.
   
9. Two to three seedlings are planted for every Christmas tree harvested.
   
10. 59 percent of the real Christmas trees harvested are recycled in community programs.

Decisions, decisions ... Should it be a cut, live tree or an artificial tree (now called a permanent tree) for indoor holiday decorations? There is another choice in "permanent" trees that could be a happy compromise. It's a living tree with roots still attached. These trees can provide holiday enjoyment and then be planted outside to become a lasting reminder of the 2003 holiday season. Here are a few tips to insure success:

1. Buy the tree from a nursery as early as possible to obtain the best selection. White pines, blue spruce, white spruce or Douglas fir are good choices. If you don't have room in your landscape for these eventually large trees, consider yews, junipers, arborvitae (which means tree of life) or holly.
2. Don't go for the biggest tree. All the trees will likely have the same size root ball, so smaller trees may be in better proportion for the quantity of roots.
3. Store the tree in a cool, wind protected area such as an unheated porch or protected area near the house until you are ready to bring the tree into your home. Check the tree weekly for moisture.
4. Dig the hole for the tree before the ground freezes. Measure from the bottom of the root ball to the trunk flare where the roots end and the trunk begins. Dig the hole to that depth and at least twice as wide. The planting area is more like a basin than a hole.
5. Mulch the planting area with straw or leaves and place a board over the hole so you won't ruin Christmas by losing Santa in the hole in your back yard.
6. Keep soil from the hole in bags in a garage where it won't freeze.
7. Wrap the root ball with a plastic trash bag so the tree can be watered.
8. A decorative plastic tub can also be used to hold the tree. Tubs with handles will make moving the tree easier. You may wish to use magazines or rolled up newspaper in the bottom of the tub to level and stabilize the tree.
9. As with cut trees, be sure to keep your live tree away from heat sources such as furnace vents or fireplaces. Keep indoor temperatures cool, if possible around 60 to 65°F.
10. Decorate the tree according to your taste.
11. Check the tree regularly for moisture by feeling the soil. Water thoroughly. Never let the soil get completely dry or stay consistently muddy.
12. Keep the tree indoors as short a time as possible ... a week or two.
13. After the holidays plant the tree immediately using the unfrozen soil you have set aside.
14. Pull the burlap back and remove carefully. Remove any twine or wire from around the root ball and coax the roots apart.
15. Firm the soil around the tree and mulch with wood chips or pine needles. Water the soil thoroughly after planting and repeat every month or so if temperatures remain mild and precipitation is light. Keep the tree standing straight with stakes and cables if needed.

Even with all these considerations, using a live "permanent" evergreen as a part of your holiday tradition is not difficult. Money spent on a tree will benefit you and your landscape for years to come, and you won't have to find a place to store it between the holidays.

In her book, "Bringing a Garden to Life" (Bantam, Books, 1998), Carol Williams made a very good point about fruit trees. You can't make them do something they really don't want to do. You can try but the result will not be a very productive fruit tree.

She applied four simple rules of plant growth. They are essentially;

• To develop, flower buds must have light. No branch should overhang another branch. There should be at least three feet between branches.
• Vertical branches are less fruitful. Horizontal branches bear the most fruit. Look at a tree full of fruit and compare the horizontal and vertical branches. It is a little like hanging ornaments on a Christmas tree. The ultimate example of the benefits of horizontal branches are fruit grown in the espalier form. Here the branches are grown in essentially two dimensions against a supporting structure.
• It is in the nature of a tree to grow up. If there is no central leader, pick a branch in the center that is growing up and prune it to take over that function. The tree will arrange itself beneath the leader, growing accordingly.
• Every tree has a form of its own. The grower should find that form and work with it. This is another example of working with Mother Nature. If you oppose the natural order of things you will not win. The plant you are trying to make conform to your idea, it may not turn out well. There are some exceptions to this idea such as Bonsai and topiaries, but these are living ornamental sculptures.

A fruit tree and the grower have a cooperative arrangement to produce the largest amount of the best fruit possible. The tree will do what its genes tell it to do. The grower need only work with the tree for the best results.

Among the holiday shopping, cooking and celebrating are the origins of many wonderful plants. Christmas wouldn't be the same without them. See how well you know your Christmas greenery.

1. Found in the jungles of Brazil, this popular and easy to grow plant will brighten up your holiday table with plenty of blooms every season, hence the name.
2. Considered to be the "redwood tree of the east," the wood from this sturdy tree carried many from cradle to coffin in the early days. Now it's popularity is found in the fruit, which is enjoyed by people and squirrels alike, especially roasted.
3. With over 600 species growing in the world's rain forests, this nutritious edible can be found in the ever popular fruitcake. Can also be found in a favorite supermarket cookie.
4. From the bark of the tree of the same name, this medicinal spice was once considered rare. One whiff is considered to provide many health benefits, however we most appreciate it for its contribution to cookies, pies and many other recipes. Eighty percent of the world's supply is grown in Sri Lanka, the native home of this plant.
5. While adorning our American created eggnog, this spice is so popular in Grenada that it is even on their country flag. Also considered medicinal, this complex plant was once believed to aid digestion and arthritis pain. It is also found in common mace.
6. Loved by Native American children, this American staple is considered to be a favorite snack for many, and a favorite decoration for the Christmas tree.
7. This "Cadillac of Christmas trees" boasts lovely foliage on strong, sturdy stems and a wonderful scent. Although a little more expensive, this stately tree will highlight your ornaments in proper fashion.
8. Although this plant is considered a parasitic nuisance in the South, it brings folks together like no other Christmas greenery. Care for a smooch?
9. Native to Mexico, 80 percent of today's plants are now grown in sunny California. Hard as you may try, it is very difficult to get this popular holiday plant to re-bloom. Oh well, it still provides beautiful foliage.
10. An ingredient in most Christmas cookies, this indoor orchid plant must be hand pollinated for the beans to produce their delicious flavor.
11. For every girl plant there must be a boy plant! The stems of this hardy shrub or tree provide a lovely natural ornament for your presents. The red berries represent Christ's tears.
12. The dried leaves of this easy to grow herb make a wonderful flavoring for tea and a popular Christmas candy. It is also believed to aid in stomach aches and nausea.

Answers are at the bottom of the page. This quiz will not be graded. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

- Suzanne Cook, Tazewell County Master Gardener.

Question: I have noticed some evergreen trees that appear to have lost all of their soft, light green needles in just the past couple of weeks. Is this a problem that may affect other evergreens?

Answer: The trees you describe could be Bald Cypress or Larch. These trees are unusual in that they are deciduous "evergreens." They would be better described as deciduous conifers because they always drop their needles in the fall. This is neither unusual nor contagious

Many of the roses classified as old garden roses are extremely tolerant of cold temperatures, while others like hybrid teas experience considerable damage. Also, budded roses stand a greater chance of injury or death due to severe cold than do own-root roses. When selecting roses, always select cultivars that are able to tolerate the coldest temperatures in your area based on USDA hardiness zone maps. One of the ways to protect roses for the winter is to be sure they go completely dormant. To accomplish this, stop fertilizing early enough so growth slows down. No fertilizer should be applied after August 15. To further encourage dormancy, stop deadheading or cutting flowers after October 1 and allow the plant to form hips.

There are many methods to provide winter protection for roses. The whole idea of winter protection is to keep the plant uniformly cold and frozen all winter and prevent the damaging effects of alternate freezing and thawing. Whatever method is chosen, don't begin covering plants too early. Wait until a hard killing frost has caused most of the leaves to fall. You may also want to wait until the temperature has dropped into the teens for several nights. Prior to covering, remove any foliage or other debris that might harbor disease for the next season.

Before covering, some tall roses may need minor pruning to reduce their height, and tying of the canes together to prevent wind whipping. Pruning, however, at this point should be kept to a minimum. The majority of the pruning will be done in the spring to remove dead and diseased canes.

The most common way to provide winter protection is to pile or "hill-up" a loose, well drained soil/compost mix around and over the plant to a depth of about 10-12 inches. A variety of hilling materials can be used, but the key is to be sure that the material is well drained. Wet and cold is far more damaging than dry and cold. Also, the decisions that are made when preparing the site for roses really governs what kind of success you will have in winter survival. A rose that is planted in poorly drained soil will suffer and often not survive the winter when that same rose, planted in a well-drained site, will flourish. Soil that is used to "hill-up" plants should be brought in from outside the rose garden. Scraping up soil from around the plant can cause root injury and lessen the plant's chance for survival.

After the soil mound has frozen, it can be covered with evergreen boughs, hardwood leaves, or straw to help insulate the soil and keep it frozen. A variation of the "hilling" method that may offer a bit more protection is one utilizing collars. An 18-inch-high circle of hardware cloth or chicken wire can be placed around the plant. Fill the collar with soil, allowed to freeze and then mulch with straw. The benefit of the collar is that it holds the soil in place all winter and prevents it from being washed or eroded away. Over the winter, this erosion can reduce the mound to a very ineffective level, exposing roses to possible winter damage.

Another popular method of winter protection for roses is the use of styrofoam rose cones. If these are used, they need to be used properly. First, don't cover the plants too early. Follow the timing guidelines as for other methods of covering roses. Second, cones need to be well ventilated to prevent heat build-up on the inside during sunny winter days. Cut four to five 1-inch holes around the top and bottom of the cone. These holes will aid in ventilation and keep the air inside the cone from heating up, causing the rose to break dormancy. It is also advisable to mound soil around the crown of the plant before putting the cone in place. For extremely tender varieties, some rose growers cut the top off the cone and stuff it full of straw for added protection. It is also a good idea to weight the cone down with a brick or stone to keep it from blowing away.

Climbing and rambler roses offer challenges regarding winter protection. In very cold climates and for marginal varieties, climbers may need to be removed from their supports and bent to the ground, covered with six inches of soil and mulched. When laying climbers on the ground you must be very careful not to injure or crack the stems. As the weather gets colder the long stems are not as pliable, and are easily cracked resulting in the loss of that cane. Another method is to physically pack straw around the canes while they are still attached to the trellis or support. The straw is held in place over the winter with twine.

Finally, always remember that healthy roses are much more likely to make it through severe winters than are roses weakened by disease, drought, insects, or nutrient deficiencies.

Anti-desiccants, such as Wilt-Pruf, are coatings that, when applied to broadleaved evergreens, may reduce winter drying or desiccation. Most anti-desiccants have a waxy formulation, which prevents water loss from the leaves. Periodic winter thaws may breakdown the protective compounds which will require re-application.

Apply anti-desiccants only to the top surface of the leaves. If anti-desiccant coats the under sides of leaves stomates located there may be blocked which will limit air exchange and kill the leaves. As with any commercial product read and follow all label directions.

• In winter our homes and garages are closed up tight to conserve heat. If you have gasoline powered yard machines it is best to empty their fuel tanks before bringing them indoors, especially into an attached garage or basement where a furnace or water heater might ignite gasoline fumes.
• Your herbaceous perennials are finished with this year's foliage so there is no reason to leave it until spring. Insects that over winter in plant debris will be ready to invade your plants when spring comes. It is best to trim away the dry stalks and leaves of Asian lilies, peonies and similar non-woody plants. They can be composted if they have no signs of disease. Otherwise burning or disposal with yard waste is best. Shredded leaves will provide a good protective mulch.
• Winter is a difficult season for houseplants. Conditions inside our homes are well suited for humans but they are generally too warm and dry for plants. Placing them near a north window and away from drafts is good. A temperature not warmer than 65º and increased humidity from a pan of water nearby is as close to ideal as we can manage unless we have a climate controlled greenhouse.

Winter has arrived and the time for sowing and reaping has passed. There are a few tasks that should not be overlooked in the cold and dreary month of December.

• Check your stored fruit and vegetables for deterioration. Winter squash, onions, potatoes and apples should be periodically sorted through and any spoiled ones removed. Remember the old saying about the "One bad apple..."
• In preparation for late winter seed starting check over your leftover seeds and run some viability checks. Within limits, left over seeds are almost as good as fresh seed. A viability check with damp paper towels will show you whether the seeds are still live and their germination percentage. You may have to plant extra seeds if the viability is below 50 percent.
• Prepare you propagation trays for starting tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, and eggplant in late February or March.

A virtue that is absolutely essential for the successful gardener is patience. Spring will come and it will be time to sow once again. It happens every year so plan your garden and be ready for another productive season.

by Martha Smith, Horticulture Educator,
University of Illinois Extension Macomb Center

Winter in the Midwest means snow and ice closely followed by city, county and state trucks, and homeowners spreading salt or other de-icing materials intended to make travel safer. January will soon be here and with it comes snow and ice. Great stuff if you have the pleasure of watching it through your living room window while you sip cocoa. Not such great stuff when you have to get around outside, either walking or driving.

Commonly, de-icing materials are used to melt the ice and allow for a safer surface. These products are used on sidewalks, driveways, patios and roadways. If not used carefully, they can damage our landscape plants. Salt causes plant injury if it accumulates to excessive amounts in soil near the root system, or when it comes directly in contact with above ground plant parts. Damage is seen when salt-laden snow is piled onto landscape beds and melts into the soil, salt-laden run-off from sidewalks, patios or driveways flows into landscape areas, or saltspray is wind blown onto plant material from an adjacent roadway.

How does salt damage plant material? Anyone who has tried to get table salt out of a wet salt shaker knows that salt readily absorbs water. De-icing salt exhibits the same property in the soil. That is, it absorbs much of the water that would normally be available to roots. Even though there is adequate soil moisture, high amounts of salt can result in a drought-like environment for plants and plants will exhibit drought or root damage injuries.

When salt dissolves in water, the sodium and chloride ions separate and plants absorb the chloride ions. These accumulate in the growing points and build up to toxic levels. Stunted yellow foliage, premature fall coloration, leaf scorch and twig dieback are common. Excessive sodium in the soil also obstructs the availability of important nutrients. However, many of these symptoms occur after bud-break in the spring and well into the growing season. It is often difficult to connect early fall color to the previous winter's salt applications.

When salt is sprayed on plants from passing cars, injury occurs in cells and tissues sensitive to the chloride ion. Chloride ions move in the transpiration stream to the leaf tips and margins and again accumulate to toxic proportions. Usually this damage is on the side of the plant facing the road, and to plants located downwind. Often the plant will grow out of the damage, with new growth covering injured potions. On evergreens, pale green, yellow or brown foliage may be evident in late winter into spring if salt damage has occurred. On deciduous plants, death of buds and twig tips, especially apparent during the spring as buds begin to open, indicates that spray damage has occurred.

How can you avoid salt damage this winter? The obvious answer is to reduce the amount of salt used. Limit applications to high-risk locations such as walkways and driveways on an incline, steps, and areas where water accumulates only to refreeze again and again. Avoid applying pure salt; instead mix salt with an abrasive material such as sand, ash or kitty litter. When applying a de-icer, wait until you have finished shoveling or plowing. If possible, wait until after the threat of more snow has passed before spreading salt. This will help reduce the amount of salt draining from the pavement into the landscape.

Since one cold and cloudy December day is very much like another, suggestions for the month will not be divided into weeks. We will let the weather determine what can be done and when.

• The pruning of your oaks can be done at any time. The trees are dormant and so are the beetle vectors for Oak Wilt Disease.
• Keep watering your trees and shrubs until the ground freezes.
• After the ground has frozen mulch your roses to insulate their roots from thawing and refreezing.
• Pruning in winter, especially after the ground is hard keeps the lawn from getting divots that dropped limbs can cause.
• Rabbits can damage young fruit trees by gnawing the bark. Protect the trunks with a wrapping of screen wire or hardware cloth.
• Pruning your evergreen trees or shrubs now will provide you with fresh decorative greens.
• If you have evergreens that receive a spray of salty slush from the street wait for a mild day and drag out your garden hose. Spray the tree thoroughly. This will prevent much of the damage salt can do to the needles.
• Daylilies and iris will benefit from a covering of evergreen branches. The soil "heaving" that comes from alternating freezing and thawing can damage their roots.
• A good source of evergreen boughs for covering plants can be from discarded Christmas trees... yours and your neighbors'.

Poinsettias are traditional Christmas plants that will last through the Christmas season and beyond. It is important to select the best plant for your home environment. The following are a few selection pointers:

• Choose a plant with dark green foliage down to the soil line.
• Choose bracts (modified leaves) that are completely colored.
• Do not purchase poinsettias with much green around bract edges.
• Do not choose plants with fallen or yellowed leaves.
• A poinsettia should look full, balanced & attractive from all sides.
• The plant should be 2 1/2 times taller than the diameter of the container.
• Choose plants that are not drooping or wilting.
• Do not purchase plants that are displayed in paper or plastic sleeves. Plants held in sleeves will deteriorate quickly.
• Do not purchase plants that have been displayed or crowded close together. Crowding can cause premature bract loss.
• Check the plant's soil. If it's wet and the plant is wilted, this could be an indication of root rot.
• Check the poinsettia's maturity. Check the true flowers that are located at the base of the colored bracts.
• If the flowers are green or red-tipped and fresh looking the bloom will "hold" longer than if yellow pollen is covering the flowers.
• When you take the poinsettia home, be sure to have it sleeved or well covered when outdoor temperatures are below 50°F.

Winter can be a cruel time for wild birds but they have survived many other severe winters with only occasional major population losses. This is reassuring but the backyard birdwatcher or birder can make survival easier by providing a few simple things for their avian visitors.

Food is an obvious need, but most birds will manage on the natural seeds and berries provided by growing plants. Bird feeders are numerous and varied, and despite the efforts of some innovators most of them are usable. A simple selection of seed featuring black oil sunflower seed and Nyger, also known as niger or niger thistle, white millet, with some cracked corn and a cake of suet will be a good menu for most wild birds. A well-secured ear of corn will be favored by blue jays.

Though most native birds can survive without backyard feeders, a real necessity is clean water. A heated birdbath is a critical need for times when there is not snow on the ground and puddles are frozen. On a sunny day birds will bathe even though temperatures may be quite cold.

Another survival aid for wild birds is shelter. Small birds like chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches have been reported to occupy birdhouses in severe weather. More natural refuges are brush piles and dense vegetation. If the homeowner can put off burning a brush pile until after the worst of winter has passed and before nesting time begins, it can be put to good use by many birds. Judging by the droppings, junipers and yews can be virtual condominium roosts for a variety of wild birds during inclement weather.

Wild birds will probably survive the cold of winter without the assistance of well meaning homeowners but anything that can be done to make survival easier for them will insure a continued healthy bird population.

Ornamental grasses have become increasingly popular as summer highlights in the home garden. Their graceful vertical leaves and plumed "flower" heads have given a new dimension to conventional garden plantings. In fall and winter, the taller grasses change color and their seed heads or inflorescences provide new accents. This is an especially good reason for not cutting back ornamental grasses in fall.

Ornamental grasses, especially the taller varieties, provide unique and attractive displays when all else has died back until spring. Grasses of the Genera Miscanthus and Calamagrostis are especially attractive. Some species grow to heights of six to seven feet and atop their stems plumes open to show their delicate feathery form. A dusting of snow is an added delight. Blowing in a gentle breeze or nearly flattened by a winter blizzard, these tough and flexible grasses rebound as soon as the wind abates. Many plumes form a tight "brush" when wet but open again when they dry.

Tall ornamental grasses, illuminated by a winter afternoon sun against a backdrop of fresh snow, are a garden sight well worth photographing and remembering. Ornamental grasses are truly plants for all seasons and in winter they may be at their very best.

University of Illinois Extension's Master Gardener program is open to all gardeners who wish to learn more about gardening, and who have the time and an inclination for volunteer service. Known for their highly regarded training and many volunteer public service activities, Master Gardeners are proud to serve their communities.

The next Master Gardener training classes in the Tri-County area will begin in January 2004. Gardeners wishing to register for Master Gardener training in 2004 may call their county Extension Unit office (Peoria 685-3140, Tazewell 347-6614 & Woodford 467-3789), leave their names, addresses & phone or e-mail numbers. They will be sent application forms in November or December 2003. First classes for the Tri-County Area (Peoria, Tazewell & Woodford Counties) will be held in Pekin. Later courses will be held in Peoria.

We have come to the end of another gardening year and in almost every respect it has been a very good year. The Peoria County Master Gardeners have distinguished themselves in what they have the accomplished with their community-oriented projects.

Bel-Wood Nursing Home, the varied community plantings, Plant A Row for the Hungry Garden, Peoria County Youth Farm, Parc Enabling Garden, Luthy Botanical Garden, the Telephone Help-Line and other community activities are examples of the achievements of the Master Gardeners. Working with Master Gardeners from Tazewell and Woodford counties the Demonstration Garden at ICC, "In the Garden" on WMBD-AM and the Tri-County Garden Day have been outstanding successes.

Peoria County Extension extends its thanks to the Master Gardeners for the help they have given in the various fund-raising activities throughout the year. We especially thank the retiring officers and welcome the new officers. Extension is better able to achieve its goals because of the work of the Master Gardeners. We give you our gratitude and our wishes for another year of outstanding accomplishments.

1. Christmas Cactus
2. Chestnut
3. Fig
4. Cinnamon
5. Nutmeg
6. Popcorn
7. Fir Tree
8. Mistletoe
9. Poinsettia
10. Vanilla
11. Holly
12. Peppermint