With all the open houses and cocktail parties to attend at this time of year, think twice before you buy flowers for your host or hostess.

An increasing number of the roses and other cut flowers we buy have been imported from large flower plantations in Latin America and Asia, where workers, primarily women and children, are often exposed daily to chemicals long banned in North America.

According to Sierra Eco, an organization that certifies farms in Equator and Colombia that have adopted environmentally-sound production methods and adhere to high safety standards and working conditions, many workers often have no protective gear; they are bare-armed, with no gloves or face masks. Because many can’t read the labels on the containers of the chemicals they use, they are not even aware of the hazards.

It’s our responsibility as consumers – and conscientious gardeners and earth-lovers! – to avoid flowers produced under these conditions. Buy flowers via Sierra Eco, or from Gaiam Flowers, which certifies their flowers as organic, biodynamic, veriflora and/or green label.

Honestly, what is the deal with these upside-down Christmas trees I’m seeing everywhere? More room for presents? A way to differentiate oneself from the neighbours? I suppose I can’t argue against them on the basis of being contrary to nature – your basic Christmas tree does that already – but really: an upside-down tree. I know someone’s going to tell me that it’s a throwback to a 12th century European tradition, but so were the Crusades. Let’s not get carried away.

I prefer to think of my tree in less commercial terms (even if it does end up covered in gobs of spray-painted macaroni ornaments):

For centuries, evergreens have played an important role in Winter celebrations. Carried into homes and adorned with apples and other fruits, they were set up as symbolic idols. Such decorations were intended as food offerings to the tree and may be where the modern custom of placing gifts beneath the Christmas tree originated. According to some sources, the Christmas tree is actually a throwback to “Yggdrasil,” the Great Tree of Life mentioned in Norse mythology.

Many pagan festivals used trees to honor their gods and spirits. In Northern Europe the Vikings considered the evergreen as symbol and a reminder that the darkness and cold of Winter would end and the green of Spring would return. (Emphasis mine.)

But to each their own. If you must, you can buy your upside-down tree here.

It’s kind of lame that I’ve never visited Heronswood, Dan Hinkley and Robert Jones’ Kitsap Penninsula, Washington nursery, especially since we’re only a couple hours away.

I heard Dan speak at a Vancouver Rose Society talk a few years ago – he’s a delightful speaker. And from what I’ve heard and seen in photographs, the garden is delightful, too.

While I’m tempted to wait until the spring to visit, winter might be a good time as well. I love seeing gardens in the winter when they’re so bare-bones. It’s a great way to look at the underlying structure in a garden without being over-wowed by flowers and foliage. And, of course, it’s a great time to check out plants for winter interest.

Read a NY Times story on Heronswood here.

The garden in our new townhouse comes “fully landscaped;” I tried to see if they’d just leave it unplanted, but apparently it’s not an option they’ve ever heard of. Anyway, the tree that the landscape designer chose for our yard is a Pyramidal European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’). It wouldn’t be my first choice of tree; it looks kind of… bleh. And I’m currently enamoured of the Coral Bark Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’) in my mom’s yard because it looks so lovely in the winter garden. But I’m willing to give the hornbeam a chance. Has anyone had any experience with this tree?

Photo of the hornbeam borrowed from Charlies Creek Nursery.

Around this time of year, the number of plants inside my house nearly doubles. Succulent planters come indoors for the winter, as do the houseplants that live outdoors during the summers. Then there are the seasonal plants: amaryllis, paperwhites, poinsettia.

I’m more of an outdoor-plant person, so I get kind of nervous when I’m charged with keeping indoor plants alive and well. Alive I can usually handle, but well – not so much. So I turned to the Royal Horticultural Society, and lo and behold, an article on “Christmas” houseplants: Cyclamen persicum hybrids, Euphorbia pulcherrima (poinsettia), Rhododendron simsii (indoor or Indian azalea), and Solanum capsicastrum. Better keep that bookmarked.

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about composting, someone says, “hey you, why aren’t you throwing that freezer-burned fish on the compost?”

Huh?

Marion Owen, creator of PlanTea, has a list of 163 things you can compost in her latest issue of the UpBeet Gardener newsletter. Hair clippings, wood ashes, and old pasta are just a few of the bizarre things on her list.

But back to that fish: has anyone ever tried this? I was always told that meat and meat products have no place in the compost.

This solar-powered fountain makes so much sense. Not only is it eco-friendly, it’s also practical. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has faced a lack of electrical outlets in the garden! Not to mention the Problem of Cords.

This particular design isn’t really my style so doesn’t make it to my wish list, but is nevertheless a fabulous invention.

Via Treehugger.

One of these days, our new townhome will be finished (it’s currently six weeks behind). Although you can’t tell from this floorplan, in addition to the deck on the third floor, there’s a small front garden and a slightly larger back garden. By larger, I’m talking approximately 13′ x 13′ (3.96m x 3.96m). Acreage this is not. But it’s all mine mine mine! Oh, and Ben’s.

The wall which faces the garden is floor-to-ceiling window, so, to smooth the transition between indoor and out, I want to echo the interior’s minimalist aesthetic outdoors. It’s going to be a departure for me because I love plants – especially buying new ones! – and I’m going to be forced to restrain myself.

I’m interested in exploring Japanese-influenced garden design because I think the aesthetic would lend itself well to our new space. Garden Design magazine has a good interview with landscape architect and former Toyko resident Marc Peter Keane, who offers advice (“Keep the palette simple…Use honest materials”) and – most important in these dreary winter months – inspiration.

Over at Takoma Gardener, Susan reveals her secret to detering squirrels from stealing her bulbs: she scatters red pepper flakes over her bulb plantings. Brilliant!

Often, just a quick glimpse at a house reveals whether its residents include children. Kids have a tendency to make their mark: vagrant toys and boisterous games have a deleterious effect on perennial borders, while the brightly hued durable plastic that is typical of children’s play structures doesn’t make for the most elegant of garden furnishings. One can’t help but wonder, “Is it possible to have children and the garden of your dreams?”

Tim Folliott and Lisa McDonald, the couple behind a residential garden design and maintenance company called Urban Landscapes, are proof that you can do both.