Bulbs. Amaryllis abound during the holidays. With colors including whites, strips, reds and pinks, there is sure to be a color to help you celebrate the season.

This spectacular bulb makes an ideal gift. When handling the bulb, be careful not to break fragile roots.

• Select a pot large enough to allow an inch of potting soil around the sides of the bulb.
• Plant your amaryllis in potting soil, leaving about an inch of the neck exposed above the soil level.
• Water well, and place the potted bulb near a window with bright light. In low light, the stalk will grow tall and weak, losing the ability to hold the flower heads without staking.
• When the flowers fade, treat amaryllis as one of your houseplants.
• Fertilize monthly with 20-20-20 or similar analysis. Remember, the foliage has to grow to replenish the food reserves in the bulb.

After the treat of frost, you can plant your amaryllis in the garden.

Bird care. Remember the birds through spring. I actually tend to my bird friends year-round — it gives me a great deal of pleasure. They add so much to the garden and to the gardener's enjoyment.

Be sure to provide a continual supply of seed, suet and water. Did you know that a bird is three times more likely to die from lack of water in the winter than lack of food? Break the ice, if need be.

Pests. Check camellias and other evergreen shrubs for signs of scale insects on the back of the leaves.

Dormant oil spray on the leaves and stems is an effective control.

Pruning. Late December is a good time to prune apple, peach and pear trees. It’s also time to cut back grape vines.

Decorating. Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Whip out those clippers and look around the garden.

There is so much to use to add festive natural adornments to your home, both inside and out.

December is a prime time to prune evergreens anyway. Burford, Foster and Nelly Stevens hollies usually have good color on their berries now.

Recut the stems at an angle and insert them in a bucket of warm water for several hours to condition before using.

Boxwood, ligustrum and aucuba are also excellent for holiday decorating.

Trees and shrubs. You still have time to plant trees and shrubs, as long as the ground has not frozen or is not likely to freeze in the next few days.

Mulch your trees and shrubs, being careful to keep it away from the trunks.

Water on a weekly basis in the absence of rain or other precipitation. Planting now allows the roots a chance to develop and withstand the heat of next summer.

Winter color. Add color in your garden with pansies, violas and other cool-season annuals. Dig and divide spring and summer perennials, and water well before and after dividing.