December can be a quiet time in the garden. Most of us are busy with other things, so the timing is good. But there is much to enjoy, and some tending to take care of. Here is some of what we are doing in our Southeast December gardens. TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design Indoor plants. Rosemary topiaries are widely available now from nurseries, garden centers, big-box stores and grocery stores.

They make an excellent seasonal display, providing fragrance and decor for the tabletop inside or in a container outside.

If kept outside, protect from freezing the first year. Potted rosemary can easily dry out. Keep an eye on this. That shouldn't be a problem because you will be passing by often for a snip for cooking. Gardening with Confidence® 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.
Gardening with Confidence® 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. Gardening with Confidence® 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. Gardening with Confidence® Pruning. Late December is a good time to prune apple, peach and pear trees. It’s also time to cut back grape vines. Gardening with Confidence® 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. Gardening with Confidence® 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. Gardening with Confidence® 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.