• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Speaking
    • Upcoming Speaking Engagements
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

Decking the Halls

December 24, 2008 By Carol Michel 13 Comments

It’s Christmas time and our thoughts turn to gardening.

Will the amaryllis and paperwhites be in bloom on Christmas Day?

Will that poinsettia keep all its leaves just a few more days, the one we bought even after we swore we weren’t going to buy one this year?

Will there be a few gardening gifts under the tree on Christmas morning, like maybe a compost thermometer?

It’s curious how so many people who don’t have house plants or garden much at all during the rest of the year end up with so many plants inside at Christmas time.

They deck the halls with boughs of holly, gather around their Christmas trees, and decorate the mantles with holiday greenery. They buy poinsettias and Norfolk Island Pines and maybe even grow an amaryllis or a few paperwhites, or at least try to grow them if someone gives them one as a gift.

Several years ago I bought a copy of Decking the Halls: The Folklore and Traditions of Christmas Plants by Linda Allen. Each year around the holidays, when I unpack all the holiday decorations, I find this book neatly packed away with a few other Christmas books.

I usually end up reading through it during the season to remind myself of all the traditions behind these plants that are so intertwined with our holiday celebrations. One year, I even put it in my purse and took it to Christmas eve services to read before the service began. (In my defense, we had to get there way early to get a good seat!)

If you have an interest in why and how all these plants ended up being such a big part of what makes Christmas feel like “Christmas” to so many people, you might consider asking Santa to put a copy of this book under the Christmas tree, right beside that compost thermometer you asked for.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: books, holidays

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. EAL says

    December 24, 2008 at 3:13 pm

    This looks like a book I’d want to read. And I had never heard of it. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Gail says

    December 24, 2008 at 3:35 pm

    Merry Christmas Carol…I hope there are garden gifts galore under the tree for you, maybe a new hoe will find its way to your garden!

    Gail

    Reply
  3. garden girl says

    December 24, 2008 at 3:47 pm

    Merry Christmas Carol!

    Reply
  4. Ewa says

    December 24, 2008 at 4:50 pm

    Merry Christmas! Wesolych Swiat, Carol!

    Reply
  5. compost in my shoe says

    December 24, 2008 at 8:11 pm

    Happy Holidays from Charleston, SC!

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    December 24, 2008 at 8:28 pm

    A very merry Christmas to you and yours, Carol! May your thumb and your houseplants be evergreen.

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    December 24, 2008 at 10:09 pm

    http://penngardener.blogspot.com

    Reply
  8. growingagardenindavis says

    December 24, 2008 at 11:17 pm

    Looks good to me too…I’ll have to look for it!

    Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    December 25, 2008 at 3:08 am

    Sounds like a very interesting book. Have a Merry Christmas.

    Jan
    Always Growing

    Reply
  10. Amy says

    December 25, 2008 at 4:23 am

    Ah yes, only a true gardener would ask for a compost thermometer for Christmas!

    Amy

    Reply
  11. Robin's Nesting Place says

    December 25, 2008 at 4:47 am

    Merry Christmas, Carol!

    Reply
  12. Rock rose says

    December 25, 2008 at 10:51 pm

    Rather than your compost thermometer I would like to have a compost pile that stays hot enough to measure the temperature. It heats up and then poof it cools down and no matter what I do, turning, watering etc. that’s the end of the heat. I think our problem is no grass to put in it. Also, I must have a Norfolk Island pine. A friend had her 6 ‘ tree decorated with lights and it was as beautiful as any Christmas Tree. I wonder how quickly they grow?

    Reply
  13. Mary says

    December 27, 2008 at 12:17 am

    Carol, Merry Christmas! (a little late). No poinsettias for me!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,047)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT