No December Downtime

For many people, December is downtime, at least in the garden. It’s a month when we all plan and enjoy Christmas with our families and probably put off garden chores. Most of them can wait anyway.

December is anything but downtime for me. On our 17-acre citrus ranch, we are picking fruit like crazy, everything from Meyer lemons to mandarins to bergamot sour oranges. And that’s just during the day. At night, I’m trying to protect the same fruit from cold damage. The first part of the month has been colder than normal, with temperatures into the upper 20s. That’s cutting it close for most citrus. For protection, we run water and wind machines, which can raise temperatures by a degree or two. So far I think we’ve come through unscathed. Keep your fingers crossed.

December is also when I start to prepare for this year’s Tournament of Roses. This is seventh year Bayer Advanced has had a float in the parade, and this year I’m going to be riding on it. Oh boy! You can find out more about the float, Red Carpet of Roses, on the float information page. It’s going to have many great garden roses, including celebrity roses like ‘Betty Boop’ and ‘Paul McCartney’, and we’ll be introducing the 2007 All America Rose Selections. It’s going to be fun. Make sure you watch on New Year’s morning.

In the meantime, have a Merry Christmas!