“Christmas now surrounds us. Happiness is everywhere. Our hands are busy with many tasks as carols fill the air.” Shirley Sallay.

“Each sight, each sound of Christmas and fragrances sublime make hearts and faces happy this glorious Christmastime.” Carice Williams.

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” Burton Hillis.

Christmas is only three days away and many gifts will be unwrapped as we celebrate the arrival of Christmas Day. However, the most precious Gift of all was wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger over 2000 years ago. We are so thankful and blessed for the Christ Child Gift and the many blessings we receive now and throughout the year on His behalf. Thank You Jesus – the Reason for the Season!

As Christmas day approaches, we continue to share in the joys and excitement that fills the air. Just the other night, a jingle gram (carolers) was delivered to our home given by our Storehouse Family at Heritage Church. What a joyful experience! As this time passes, we all realize that next week leads us into the new year which will bring many new challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities. We contemplate on how we might convincingly change ourselves throughout the new year and try to identify with this new person whom we aspire to be.

Many people develop new year resolutions to exercise more and lose weight, maintain better family relations, go to church more, help people more, agree to do more in the community, travel more, plan a healthy and cleansing diet to rid their bodies of toxic substances, smile more, and so on. Many of these resolutions will fall by the wayside after the first few weeks or so of the new year because of the repetition, time restraints or simply the lack of commitment and interest.

Do you make new year resolutions? Do you keep any of those resolutions? Are you looking for new ideas in developing your new year resolutions? Well, look no more! Think about a different kind of new year resolution that you might consider! Such a resolution could involve either “adopting a plant” for yourself or “giving a plant” as a gift to someone else as part of your new year resolution.

However, even this resolution requires effort and responsibility throughout the year. Your greenscape can benefit from the same type of consideration that you give other traditional resolutions if you are really serious about sustainability, stewardship and environmental awareness.

Consider such activities as new plant purchases for either the indoors or       outdoors, flushing or changing the soil media in existing containers (re-potting), root pruning, upsizing the plant into a larger container, adding beneficial microbes to the soil media, hand cleaning the leaves on potted plants where dust has collected, and so on.

Start the new year with an optimistic and positive attitude by beckoning your wishes for a happy new year with a gift of life that grows every month of the year. The new year is a very appropriate time for an attractive plant gift but with it comes the realization of responsibility for care and maintenance. Get away from the irresponsible perception, “if it dies I’ll just buy another one.”

Maybe giving a plant for such an occasion will bring others to committing to new gardening resolutions for the new year. Welcome the new year with gifts of nature by helping your friends and family become more aware of plants and plant care.  A display of color represented in plants such as a white peace lily, white gardenia, calamondin orange, red hibiscus, pink crown of thorns, or yellow ixora will work wonders that you never thought possible. Or choose from a juniper bonsai, braided money tree, areca palm silk plant, ficus, rubber plant, dumb cane, dragon tree, corn plant, or a variety of other lovely house plants as your choices are unlimited.

Even though it is winter and cooler outside, these plant gifts make wonderful indoor gardens and arrangements which add a warm and comfortable feeling to an otherwise dreary time of year. From the emotionally high peaks of December to the lowly valleys of January, this is an awesome way to remind your loved ones how much you care by giving such a beautiful plant to start the new year.

Most house plant enthusiasts reduce fertilization in the winter, thus making it a good time to flush salt and fertilizer residues from the plant root zone. Soil flushes are available at your local garden center to dissolve the salts and leach them from the container. If this process is completed correctly, the treatment will cleanse the roots and make them healthier. After which, they will more effectively absorb nutrients for growth and development as growth begins and the year passes. Also, this treatment will effectively remove excess salts from the potting medium.

Mix the flush product according to directions, and apply slowly to allow infiltration until the percolation flow exits the bottom of the container. This activity should be conducted in a sink or outside for proper drainage. Do not allow the plant to soak in the effluent or drainage water. This flushing process should be conducted twice per year when not changing the soil completely.

Dedicated gardeners with indoor plants in poor potting soil should consider repotting the plant with fresh, healthy soil.  Choose the best potting available within your budget. Clean the existing container to remove any fertilizer, hard water deposits, and old soil. Obviously, larger plants are more difficult to repot. Make every effort to protect and not harm the plants, as well as maintaining such work posture to protect your body (esp. back) in the process. A newly repotted plant will exhibit better vigor and healthier appearance than before the process.

Check your plant and container for size proportion and potential root-bound conditions which will lead to slower growth and a less healthy plant. Upon inspection, if the plant is root-bound then the roots will be growing in circular pattern around in the inside of the container. If so, repotting is a must and the existing root pattern must be pruned away before placing in new media in a larger container.

May your horticultural efforts provide you with an atmosphere filled with ornamental appeal, spiritual contentment, and personal safety and happiness throughout the new year. You have time to move on this resolution. Remember, don’t drink and drive, don’t text and drive, and click-it or ticket – keep focused. Also, enjoy some football as many bowl games are being played. Go Dawgs! Merry Christmas 2019 and Happy New Year  2020! Blessings and Good Cheer to all! Make it the most joyous Christmas about Jesus – the Reason for the Season!

“While [Joseph and Mary] were [in Bethlehem], the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:6-7. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6.

Eddie Seagle is a Sustainability Verifier, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland), Agronomist and Horticulturalist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International) LLC, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Alumnus (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), Distinguished Professor for Teaching and Learning (University System of Georgia) and Short Term Missionary (Heritage Church, Moultrie). Direct inquiries to csi_seagle@yahoo.com.