Gardening Tips by Bob Beyfuss

Gymnosperms
First of all, I would like to wish all of you a very Happy New Year. I hope that 2013 will bring you good health, happiness and the opportunities to share these joys with others.

Coping with Winter

Poinsettias
OK, I’ll admit it. For the past three weeks while you have been shivering in the cold Northeast, I have basking in the warm Florida sunshine. Actually I have also been in North Carolina and Pennsylvania for a few days, but certainly not in upstate New York.

Holiday Trees
I was going to title this week’s column “Christmas trees” but you don’t have to celebrate Christmas to enjoy the custom of decorating an evergreen tree indoors. The custom is, in fact, decidedly not Christian, perhaps dating back to the Druids, a Pagan cult that preceded Christianity by a long time. Christian missionaries all over the world often incorporated local customs into their attempts to gather acceptance of their new religion.

Holiday Gifts for Gardeners
I hope you survived Black Friday or even Black Thursday this year without going broke buying “bargains.” Holiday gift shopping may be a joy for some people but for others it is pure torture! Some of us are just not that good at picking out gifts that will be appreciated. Fortunately almost 75 percent of the households in this country participate in some sort of gardening activity so the following suggestions might make your task a bit easier this year.