In the Veggie Path - December (southern hemisphere)

Sit back and enjoy the festive season this month. Hydrangeas make a wonderful Christmas display with their giant "mop heads" in shades of white, blue and pink. Often it's too hot to do too much in the garden now and Christmas shopping seems to take precedence anyway. Many of you might venture on a summer holiday around now, so I've included a few handy tips before you go. Holiday Care Take care of your precious work in the garden by ensuring that a neighbour or friend can do some watering if you go away.Make sure the garden is heavily mulched with at least 5cm (and preferably 7 or 8cm) of straw, sugarcane mulch, compost and pea straw.