The late November storm had us scrambling to replant this Cornus mas that got uprooted completely from the winds and wet soils. Thankfully, the root ball was intact, and the tree dormant, so it was planted back in higher ground, with more supports.
Glass vases are simply wrapped in birch bark paper, then filled with seasonal offerings such as Amaryllis, evergreen stems, and scented geranium. From Martha Stewart Living, December 2007.
Loverboy, one of my most favorite Red Dahlias. Listed as a Medium (size) Semi-Cactus form, and Dark Red by the American Dahlia Society. What the classification doesn’t mention is the stunning purple quality the back of the leaves display, which adds such a richness to the flower.
Peaches ‘n Cream, a vigorous grower for us, and the prettiest shade of pink that plays so well with many palettes.
Itoh Peony
Highlander Delphinium
I heard a bird singIn the dark of December,
A magical thing,
And sweet to remember:
“We are nearer to spring
Than we were in September.”
~Oliver Herford, “Hope,” in The Century Magazine, 1914
Finding inspiration on a monthly basis can be challenging in the best of times, so I’m digging deep into my ‘archives’ to find long lost treasures, and rejuvenate my why in a world that is dominated by social media, copy cat posts, and echo chambers. This may seem an odd thing to talk about, but social media is an ever present part of our lives, and as a small, nay, micro business owner, it seems to ever dominate how we interact and reach our customers.
I find it so interesting (and amazing!) how many things one can tuck away, and forget, in the recesses of drawers and cupboards. This winter, when the days are short, and the weather is bad, I am working through all the hiding places to see what is still relevant in my world, and finding a way to put important and beautiful things where I can see them, and thus use them. Streamlining my home and my work spaces helps me think and create best, as clutter can crowd my mind. Are you this way, or do you prefer to work amongst treasured things, even if it’s a bit untidy?
Speaking of using beautiful things, it’s time to bring out the good china, the stunning vase you bought on vacation, your favorite winter outfit, and celebrate yourself, your family, your friends, and what you have accomplished. December is a great month for both relishing the year’s gifts, and treasuring the bounty of your life. And what are you saving that china for, anyway? As we spend more time indoors, let’s celebrate together by gathering to discuss books, movies, what we are looking forward to, while eating good food around a beautiful table.
I’m reflecting on what we accomplished this year at Laughing Goat, thinking ahead to what is next. I love what Martha Stewart said in her documentary “I have two mottos. One is learn something new every day, and the second one is when you’re through changing, you’re through.” I have considered myself a lifelong student, as that is something ingrained in me from one of my coaches, mentors and favorite people from my days in the Ballroom Dance world, that when you take it upon yourself to be a teacher, you are also signing up to be a forever student. I had no qualms about going back to University to get my Horticulture degree in my 40’s, and I still love taking classes and learning new things.
With this in mind, I’ve set a new project for myself. I like to have something to work on outside of planting projects and Garden happenings to keep my brain interested and occupied. I’m going through each month of a MS Living magazine, and making every recipe that month. I’m particularly focused on the baked goods, as I’m pretty adept at trying new recipes for dinner, with my NYT subscription and all my cookbooks, but I tend to avoid baked goods. Mostly because we don’t eat a lot of sweets, and a recipe is typically too much for 2 people. But, I want to sharpen my skills in this area, and focus on the presentation of the dessert, and it’s an excuse to share with friends, and build community. Who doesn’t love dessert?!? I’ll share my results on social media, and sprinkle it here and there in the newsletter. What are you most looking forward to implementing in your world, that is fun and exciting to look forward to? I’d really love to heard.
Lastly, consider donating gently or barely used items that have made their way to hiding holes in your home, to a charity that will give them new life. We’ve found charities that are reusing Christmas lights, holiday decor, and even stockpiles of cat food that our own picky cats won’t eat. Rather than continuing to have this clutter, I’m gathering up and sending along, in the hopes that we all feel what this season is all about: hope, giving, and generosity..
- What’s next at Laughing Goat
- Winter Planning
- Winter Planting
- Winter Weeding
- The Martha Project
- Gift Ideas for Gardeners
- Dahlia Announcement
- Articles of Interest
- Upcoming Zoom Lecture: TJ Maher
- Garden Books
- The Garden Shop
- December Garden Tasks
2025 is going to be an interesting year to plan, as some of my obligations with outside groups will be ramping up, and we have a robust travel schedule, along with adding some events and happenings in the Gardens, all while we continue to update and plant out our Garden spaces.
One thing I’m excited to implement is what I’m calling Garden Walks. This will be a once a month, hour long walk through our Garden, with Amy, while I showcase what is in bloom, and beautiful, in the Gardens at that time. I will share plant names with those in attendance, and if you bring a notebook to write them down, you get bonus teacher points, as I won’t be sending out lists after the fact. This will require you to be on your feet, on uneven surfaces, for the duration of an hour, as we walk about and chat, and answer questions about what is going on. A great time to ask questions as they come up.
Our Peony Sip & Stroll event, always popular in the past, will be coming back. Details will be shared, but the timeline is end of May through early-mid June, depending on the bloom cycle and timeline.
Lucy Hunter is planning to come back, for some special events in the Garden, so stay tuned for that. This is anticipated to happen in early June.
Dahlias, Desserts and Drinks! A fun afternoon in the Garden, with a seasonal dessert and drink to share with flower friends. There will be an option to add flowers, if you’re the sort that likes to play with flowers.
Garden Flower Bouquets – small, curated workshops with fresh, seasonal offerings and a calming morning spent in the Gardens.
Wreath Workshops – adding some seasonal wreath workshops around Fall and the Holidays. We’ll have hot tea and coffee, maybe some nibbles, and wreath away, with something tangible for you to take home and hang on your door to welcome you and your Guests home.
Beyond all this, I still don’t have any resolution about opening up the Gardens past our ticketed events. We do offer small group, and private tours to those who are interested, but my suggestion is if you are wanting to visit, to find an event around the time you are interested, and plan on attending that.
The late November storm had us scrambling to replant this Cornus mas that got uprooted completely from the winds and wet soils. Thankfully, the root ball was intact, and the tree dormant, so it was planted back in higher ground, with more supports.
Winter time is when I take advantage of days that are less than savory for working outdoors. Early December saw some foggy days that were both difficult to see, and work in, as well as cold. Mornings when the soils are frozen, and I can’t weed or plant, I spend going through my seed cabinet, and getting organized for Seeding time, as well as planning out my Gardens and upcoming projects.
My spreadsheets for the Greenhouse are organized into tabs, by plant, with predetermined counts of how many of each plant I need. It’s down to a science, in that, once I determine where a plant will go, then I know how many I will need. For instance, if I’m sowing a raised bed of lettuce, our beds are 4 feet by 10 feet. I plant our Romaine heads 6-12″, but usually around 8″. I’ll usually tuck 60 heads into a single bed at this spacing. Since I don’t need an entire bed or radish, I tuck radish, and/or spring onions around the borders to fill in negative space.
My calendar tells me when I need to sow seed, and whether it gets started indoors in the Greenhouse, or sown directly into the soil. A weekly tracker helps ensure I don’t miss anything, and this is a system that has helped me personally manage hundreds of varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers over thousands of plants that make it into the ground every year.
However you plan, and whatever system you use, make sure you have one set in place that works for you, as in, you will follow it, and it keeps you on track. My system works for me, but may not be right for others. The internet offers a wealth of options to get you started if you need something visual, and then tweak it to work for your Garden. The most important thing is to have a plan, and follow that plan, even if it’s not perfect.
I say it every year: it’s the best time of year for planting bare root trees, and shrubs. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you can plant large scale plants, and give them a chance to settle in while they’re dormant, so that it’s less of a transplant shock.
Other things you will start to see show up in nurseries are Hellebores, Daphne odora, Witch Hazels, Camellia, Crocus, Cyclamen, Galanthus, Pieris japonica (we don’t plant these in our Gardens due to them being toxic to Goats so you won’t ever see them on the property), Sarcococca, Erica or Heath, and Winter Jasmine. All of these plants are great for adding value and interest to your Gardens for some show in the Winter months.
I’m personally looking forward to my pink pussy willow show, which happens every February, and is such a joy. I’m hoping to take cuttings this year to root and offer in the Garden Shop.
The nice thing about soggy soils, is that it does make it a bit easier to pull up weeds, particularly those with deep roots. So, tackle the dandelions, the buttercups, and the dock. I always remember the Rumi quote this time of year: “And don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.” – Rumi.
Absolutely enchanted by the beautiful world she created, Martha Stewart Living was a magazine I used my hard-earned babysitting money to subscribe to. Fast forward to being an adult, and I forget how many moves as an adult, I got tired of packing and moving heavy boxes of old magazines, and threw them out.
I know. It still makes me sad. We all have regrets. That’s one of mine. The other is a pristine Chanel suit, that included a jacket, in my size, at a thrift shop in Seattle in my college days that I wanted so bad. I truly couldn’t afford it, even at the incredible thrift shop bargain price it was, and made the practical decision to walk away from. I still think about it…
Buoyed by the recent documentary, I made the rather unpractical decision to find some past Living, and wow, you can find just about anything on the internet these days. I am now the proud, second-time owner of the entire collection of 2007 Living, secondhand.
Not only has it been going through these issues, and remembering many things I saw the first time around, it reminded me of all the things I admired in Martha: she did everything joyfully, and made it beautiful. Gardening, Homemaking, Decorating, Setting a Table, Cooking, Baking, Crafting, Celebrating. There simply wasn’t any topic untouched, no Holiday left alone, and I wanted to do it all.
So, I’m making my way through each issue, Baking and Cooking for sure, Crafting maybe, and getting inspiration from Martha all over again. I’ll share my journey with you, the good, the bad, the funny, as I’m sure it will be all of that. Starting in January, each month, will be something from my Martha Project.
Glass vases are simply wrapped in birch bark paper, then filled with seasonal offerings such as Amaryllis, evergreen stems, and scented geranium. From Martha Stewart Living, December 2007.
I started a series of posts on Facebook land in late November, giving ideas for gifts for the Gardeners in your life. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what to give someone, and my hope was that this would spark some creativity and life into your holiday season. Whether you are gifting a cherished friend, a beloved family member, or even just a treat for yourself, these are things I love, and would love to gift, and to receive. The best gifts are the ones you would love to get yourself!
Crafty Things:
Wrap an inexpensive glass jar (ours are only $4) with beautiful craft paper, or birch bark paper, as shown at left, and fill with seasonal blooms. Do be careful in sourcing blooms, as some inexpensive options often are of inferior quality, and won’t last long. Long-lasting blooms include forced bulbs like amaryllis, paper whites, and I’ve had luck with poinsettias being cut up for arrangements, plus don’t forget orchids, which in bloom will last for weeks. A pretty ribbon would be a nice addition as well.
If you knit/crochet, consider a lovely hat and scarf, to keep warm in the winter while tending to the garden in the cold.
Bake a lovely loaf or cake, and gift with some tea, to enjoy a nice chat after a morning spent weeding and pruning.
Wrap a wreath form, found at any traditional craft store, with a variety of, or even a single type, mosses. Hot glue the moss in clumps, or bunches to cover the form on all edges, and make it as dimensional as you like. A satin, or a velvet ribbon to finish off is all the decor it needs.
Offer to lend helping hands in the Garden for a few hours, especially to an elderly neighbor, or a family member who isn’t getting around so well. The gift of your time is priceless.
Make one of the following:
🍫Hot Cocoa Mix, gift in a storage jar, or with a mug
🍪Cookie Mix, gift with a vintage tin or cute holiday plate
🌰Granola, gift in a storage jar, with a wooden spoon attached
🫖Homemade Tea from your Garden, gift with a tea diffuser and/or mug
To Buy, won’t Break the Bank:
📕Brooklyn Botanic Garden Books
Our vintage milk bottles as bud vases, include a packet of seeds or a tuber! (Idea from a Guest)
🌱Packet(s) of Seeds you love
🖊️Garden markers that won’t fade
🌸Tubers, from your Garden
🪚A garden tool they can’t live without
📖Subscription to a magazine, such as Flower, The English Garden, Gardens Illustrated, Garden Gate, Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Country Gardens, In Her Garden
🎗️Donate to a local Charity in their name
⛲️Visit a Garden together, admission tix
🍽️Dinner out together
Loverboy, one of my most favorite Red Dahlias. Listed as a Medium (size) Semi-Cactus form, and Dark Red by the American Dahlia Society. What the classification doesn’t mention is the stunning purple quality the back of the leaves display, which adds such a richness to the flower.
Peaches ‘n Cream, a vigorous grower for us, and the prettiest shade of pink that plays so well with many palettes.
If you follow us on Facebook (thank you!) you may have seen my post regarding Dahlias, and if you read to the end, you noticed one sentence that said I would have Dahlia tubers in the Garden Shop this Spring.
In the past, we have done massive tuber sales, online, with website crashing, varieties selling out in records time, shipping all over the United States, and our lives being totally taken over by all things Dahlias for months on end…this year is going to be different.
Dahlia tubers are going to be available in The Garden Shop, in April through mid-May. Dates will be announced in 2025. We will not be offering Shipping, and we will not be listing them on our website. We are going old-fashioned for this one. I will not be posting lists of availability or amounts, what we have will be physically in the Garden Shop until it is not. I will keep tubers in the shop through May 15th. You really should have them planted by the end of May at the very latest anyway. All tuber sales will be final. Since you will be choosing your tubers, and have the opportunity to both inspect and feel them (gently and respectfully please) before you purchase them, we will not be offering refunds on tubers. There are no exceptions to this.
This is going to be an experiment, but I’m having to manage this in a way that works best in my world, and with limited hands.
I appreciate everyone’s support with us working through offering plants in a way that is manageable for our small business. We are sorry that we are not offering shipping at this time, as that is another level of complexity that adds multiple layers to our efforts and is just not something I’m interested in doing.
This by no means is a complete list of our inventory, nor does it reflect what will be available.
I’m asking that you kindly refrain from sending me emails asking for what varieties I will have available, how much they will cost, etc. as it is time consuming to manage the myriad of requests I know I will get. I will not know any of this until we get closer, and any email replies will be a form response stating just this, and that the only list of varieties provided will be in The Garden Shop, for our customers, to see when you visit.
TJ Maher, author of the newly released Grounded in the Garden, has graciously accepted our query to be our Winter Guest Speaker. This book is “An Artist’s Guide to Creating a Beautiful Garden in Harmony with Nature” and I simply cannot wait to hear him speak to us about creating gardens using color, texture and plants as palette.
This book is visually stunning, full of terrific photos, plant identification, and ideas for your own Gardens. My hope is that you will be inspired, and take away ideas and plans for creating your own gardens during this planning phase of the year.
TJ’s visual presentation will be one hour long, with time for questions and answers after. Zoom webinar will be on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at 9:00am PST, as there is a time difference with TJ being in Ireland.
This will be our first time hosting a Zoom chat with a Visiting Artist & Gardener, and I hope this is well received so we can continue to pursue this as an option for our Guests that are unable to travel overseas to hear talks in person.
Ticket Information
I’m currently on hiatus from adding new Garden books (and cookbooks for that matter) to my library, until I’m able to fully enjoy, and read, what I have. This doesn’t mean I’m not keeping a list handy, of books that catch my eye, but I’m truly on a break from buying.
What’s on my desk, aka immediate vicinity, in December:
Provençe Style: Decorating with French Country Flair by Shauna Marvel
Wonder of the Woodland by Françoise Weeks
The Serviceberry, Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Young Forever, The Secrets to Living your Longest, Healthiest Life by Mark Hyman, MD
Itoh Peony
Itoh Peonies are coming, however we’ve had an update from our supplier, which is a bit sad. Unfortunately, the very large order that contained 12 varieties of Peonies was reduced down to only 3 that are confirmed. I’ve updated our list below to reflect the changes, and my apologies for any disappointment this may cause. I’m personally let down over this as I was looking forward to both planting, and offering these stunners. The plant and garden market is constantly in flux, as we deal with living product that is at the mercy of weather, disease, growers’ mishaps, etc.
Here is the list of incoming varietals and newly Stocked Items we will have available, so that you can plan for your Gardens, Homes and Entertaining.
Gordon E Simonson – semi-double to double, Pink flowers that blooms Mid-season. No fragrance.
Pink Double Dandy – semi-double to double, Violet Pink flowers with a mild but pleasant fragrance.
Scrumdiddlyumptious – semi-double to fully double, Yellow-Pink blooms are mildly fragrant.
Bolero, Cha Cha, Flamenco, Moonlight, Samba, Sweet Sensation (please note, our Delphiniums will be offered to our Guests that supported our Fall Bulb Program first)
Ballerina Mix, Brush Strokes, Chianti Shades Mix, Frizzle Sizzle Raspberry, Imperial Antique Shades, Nature Antique Shades
Also available Spring 2025 is our incoming line of Berg’s Pottery. If you’ve seen Berg’s, you know these are high quality, beautiful, heirloom pots and containers that will dress up your Home and Gardens. Designed in Denmark, and handcrafted from premium quality clay at small, family-owned workshops in northern Italy and Portugal, they are crave worthy. If you haven’t yet acquainted yourself with Berg’s, you are in for a treat, and I’m delighted to start carrying this line for our Guests and can’t wait for them to arrive.
La Rochere has been producing artisanal glass in the heart of France for more than 500 years, making it the oldest continuously running glass factory in Europe.
The company is recognized around the world for designing and producing authentic, high quality glassware with French style for today’s modern home.
Updated for today’s lifestyles, all La Rochere glass is dishwasher safe. La Rochere designers and glass artisans collaborate to create fresh designs for daily living and special occasions. Inspired by French cuisine, culture, art and style, each piece evokes both casual comfort and modern elegance.
The Garden Shop is officially Closed for the Season – we will reopen again in the Spring, when we have Tulips and other Blooms available, and are ready to open the Gardens again. Please note: we still don’t know what this looks like, so your patience with us is appreciated.
When we do have plants available, and you have purchased plants for pick-up, we will arrange those dates with you once we know when plants land.
As always, our online Shop is year-round, so if you are looking for the perfect Host/Hostess Gift, Holiday gifts, or just something for yourself, please check out our online Shop:
Highlander Delphinium
- World Soil Day December 5
- Christmas Card Day December 9
- Poinsettia Day December 12
- National Cocoa Day: December 13
- Maple Syrup Day 🥞 December 17
- Yule starts December 21
- Christmas December 25
- Hannukah starts December 25
- Kwanzaa starts December 26
- Boxing Day December 26
- New Year’s Eve December 31
- Dig over empty borders and prepare your soil for next year’s planting.
- Group potted plants together in a sheltered spot in the garden to protect them from the harshest winter weather.
- Get pruning! Wisteria, some fruit trees, roses and Japanese maples are some of the plants that benefit from a winter prune.
- Look after the birds – clean feeders, stock up on wild bird food, and make sure they have access to fresh water.
- Keep checking over stored dahlia tubers, keeping an eye out for rot.
- Check climbers and climbing shrubs are securely attached to their supports with ties.
- Harvest holly with berries for making Christmas garlands and wreaths. Stand the berry covered twigs in a bucket of water until you’re ready to use them.
- Take hardwood cuttings from suitable trees and shrubs.
- Spread fresh gravel or grit around alpine and rockery plants.
- Remove yellowing leaves from your winter brassicas – they’re no use to the plant and may harbor pests and diseases.
- If you haven’t already, cut down dead asparagus foliage and the top growth of Jerusalem artichokes. Order your asparagus crowns now for planting in spring.
- Lift and divide established clumps of rhubarb to renew the plant’s vigor. Sections taken from the outside of the plant are better than those from the centre.
- Protect the tips of fig tree branches. They will carry the fruits for next year and are susceptible to frost. Cover with fleece or straw.
- If your strawberry plants are over 3 years old, order some new varieties to replace them. Old strawberries can harbour diseases and tend to lose vigour and productivity.
- If you haven’t already done so, clean out the greenhouse thoroughly. Wash the glass, the floor and the staging with horticultural disinfectant to kill any overwintering pests and diseases.
- Brush heavy snow off the tops of greenhouses and cold frames to prevent the siding/glass getting damaged.
- Insulate outdoor taps or turn them off at the mains. Pack away hoses that are not required.
- Propagate perennials from root cuttings including phlox, oriental poppies and mint.
- Keep an eye out for aphids overwintering on your plants, remove them by hand or use an organic pesticide.
- Protect your poinsettias from cold draughts and allow them to dry out slightly between waterings to make them last well into January.
- Past Newsletter Access Here: https://laughinggoatfarm.com/blog/
