The garden in December began a new cycle of growth. Deciduous shrubs & trees had dropped their leaves & the stems of the perennials had withered away. In their place were the beginnings of new growth, buds on the stems of shrubs & trees, buds in the crowns of perennials. Evergreen plants were rich in color. The soil was dark & moist. The Helleborus foetidus began to bloom. The month was unusually warm & wet. The temperature was 3.6 degrees above normal, while rainfall was 0.73 inches more than normal. There were only 2 days with freezing weather. The lowest temperature was 31 degrees on 12/5. The highest temperature was 59 on 12/20, 10 degrees above normal.
