You put up the tree. You add the twinkle lights. Your home feels warm, festive, and cozy… …and suddenly your plants start dropping leaves. If you’ve ever wondered why a perfectly happy houseplant starts acting dramatic the moment holiday lights appear, you’re not imagining it. December décor can be surprisingly stressful for plants, especially indoor container plants that are already dealing with low light, dry air, and temperature swings. Let’s break down what’s really happening, and how to keep both your plants and your holiday sparkle happy. 🌿 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥 Plants are sensitive to light, heat, and air movement. Holiday lights often change all three at once. Common December plant stressors include: * Added heat from lights * Sudden light exposure at night * Dry air around decorated areas * Changed airflow patterns * Being moved closer to windows or heat sources Your plants aren’t being fussy. They’re reacting to an environment shift. 💡 𝟏. 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐮𝐩 (𝐓𝐡𝐞 #𝟏 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐭) Even LED lights give off some warmth. Incandescent lights give off a lot. When lights are wrapped around: * plant shelves * window frames * mantels * tree stands near plants …the air temperature around leaves increases. 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: * Dry, crispy leaf edges * Yellowing leaves * Sudden leaf drop * Wilted leaves even when soil is moist 𝐅𝐢𝐱 𝐢𝐭: * Move plants at least 12–18 inches away from lights * Use LED lights only near plants * Turn lights off overnight Plants like consistent temperatures not mini heat waves. 🌙 𝟐. 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 Plants rely on darkness just as much as daylight. Holiday lights left on late into the night can: * Disrupt natural plant rhythms * Interfere with rest cycles * Delay flowering (especially holiday cacti) * Trigger stress leaf drop This is especially common near: * Christmas trees * Window displays * Shelves with decorative lights 𝐅𝐢𝐱 𝐢𝐭: * Turn decorative lights off before bed * Avoid placing plants directly inside light displays

Today is the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year… and your plants absolutely notice it. Container gardeners, especially those with indoor setups, overwintered pots, shade-loving herbs, or winter veggies, feel the shift more than most. Plants slow down, light is weak, windows stay cold, and growth patterns get a little funky. But the Solstice isn’t just the darkest day. It also marks the moment when the light begins to return. Let’s dive into what today means for your plants and how to support them through the next few weeks of deep winter. 🌤️ 𝟏. 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 This is the day your plants receive: * The fewest hours of natural daylight * The weakest sunlight intensity * The lowest daily total energy (photosynthetically speaking) If you’ve noticed: * slow growth * pale leaves * legginess * droopiness * poor herb production * or delayed blooms …it’s not you ... 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧. Your plants aren’t dying. They’re conserving energy and doing what plants do when the sun disappears. 💡 𝟐. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 ✔ 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 Winter sunlight is weak — even a few extra inches help. ✔ 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 To prevent leaning and stretching. ✔ 𝐖𝐢𝐩𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 Dust blocks what little light we get right now. ✔ 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 Even a cheap clip-on can make a MASSIVE difference. ✔ 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 Plants can’t use the nutrients well right now. 𝐏𝐆𝐒 𝐭𝐢𝐩: If you want your herbs to actually grow in December and January, a grow light is not optional, it’s the secret weapon. ❄️ 𝟑. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 The Solstice is when cold snaps start hitting fast. Take a moment today to check: ✔𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫? Clusters stay warmer. ✔ 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐳𝐞? They crack easily in December/January. ✔ 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐩? This protects soil from hard freezing.

National Ugly Sweater Day is all about fun, personality, and not taking things too seriously. Which makes it the perfect day to let your plants join the celebration. No knitting required. No stress involved. Just a few quick, playful ways to “dress up” your plants using things you probably already have or can grab in one quick Dollar Store run. Let’s give your plants their moment to shine (ugly sweaters optional). 🌿 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐔𝐩 𝐓𝐨𝐨 Plants are already part of your holiday décor: poinsettias, herbs, winter greens, porch pots. Adding a little personality: ✔ makes your home feel more festive ✔ encourages creativity ✔ sparks conversation ✔ is extremely photo-worthy ✔ makes winter gardening more fun And in true PGS fashion we’re keeping it simple, inexpensive, and plant-safe. 🎁 𝟏. 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 Keep an eye out for: * Mini scarves * Tiny hats or beanies * Felt ornaments * Holiday ribbon * Gnomes & figurines * Bottle-brush trees * Mini signs (“Joy,” “Ho Ho Ho,” “Merry”) * Pipe cleaners * Pom-poms * Mini stockings Almost anything small can become plant décor. 🧣 𝟐. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐔𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫” (𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬) This is one of the easiest and safest options. How to do it: * Cut a short strip of felt, ribbon, or fabric * Loosely wrap it around the pot, not the plant * Secure with tape or a bow This keeps fabric away from leaves and soil while still looking festive. Great for: * Herbs * Poinsettias * Christmas cactus * Houseplants on shelves 🎅 𝟑. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 (𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥, 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐞) For sturdy plants like: * Rosemary * Snake plants * Dracaena * Small evergreens You can gently place: * A mini Santa hat * A tiny knit beanie * A felt cone hat 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Rest it on the pot rim or a stake. Don’t stretch leaves or tie anything tightly. 🎄 𝟒. 𝐎𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 = 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐭 This is a crowd favorite. How to do it: * Glue mini ornaments onto skewers or craft sticks * Insert into soil near the back of the pot

The holidays are here with family visits, long weekends, Christmas trips, New Year getaways. But if you’re a gardener, your very first thought is usually: “But… what about my plants?” Don’t worry, with a little prep, your indoor and outdoor container plants can thrive while you’re away. Whether you’re gone for two days or ten, here’s how to make sure you come home to healthy, happy greenery instead of crispy leaves or soggy soil. Let’s get those plants vacation-ready! 🌱 𝟏. 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 (𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡!) Most plant mishaps happen because gardeners water too heavily right before they leave. The goal: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 not swampy soil. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬: * Water well the day before you leave * Allow extra water to drain completely * Empty all saucers so roots don’t sit in water 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠): * Water earlier in the day to avoid overnight freeze * Skip watering if temps will drop below 32°F in the next 24 hours * Frozen wet soil = cracked pots + rotted roots If you have a friend checking in, leave simple instructions only: “𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝟐–𝟑 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧.” 🌤️ 𝟐. 𝐀𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 Plants won’t grow much while you’re gone and that’s good! Less growth = less water needs. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬: * Pull them a bit farther from bright windows (reduces light stress + water loss) * If using grow lights, set them on timers for 6–8 hours * Grouping plants together helps maintain humidity levels 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐩: Move them away from areas that get 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐧 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 during low winter angles. This can scorch or dry indoor plants quickly. 🌡️ 𝟑. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 & 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐬 Plants do 𝑛𝑜𝑡 tolerate sudden temperature swings, especially in winter. Before you leave: ✔ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐬 Move plants away from: * doorways * old windows * fireplace zones * heat vents ✔𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟔𝟎–𝟕𝟎°𝐅 * Anything lower than 55°F can stress tropicals. * Anything higher than 75°F dries them out. If you’re letting your thermostat drop while you’re gone, move plants closer together and away from cold glass.

It’s the most creative time of the year! If you’ve ever strolled through the Dollar Tree or dollar aisle in December, you already know it’s FULL of little treasures just begging to be turned into adorable plant décor. For just a few dollars, you can turn everyday holiday items into festive plant picks, giving your indoor and outdoor containers the perfect seasonal sparkle. Whether you’re decorating your poinsettias, your kitchen herb pots, your succulents, or your winter porch planters… these DIY picks are fun, easy, and budget-friendly. Let’s get crafty! 🎁 𝟏. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐎𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 → 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 Those tiny ornament packs (usually 8–12 pieces for $1.25) are PERFECT for plant picks. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦: 1. Grab a pack of mini ornaments. 2. Remove the hanging string. 3. Hot glue or twist-tie them onto: * bamboo skewers * chopsticks * wooden craft sticks * floral wire 4. Tuck into your holiday plants for instant charm. 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫: * Poinsettias * Christmas cactus * Indoor herbs * Porch pots Choose red, white, silver, gold or mix textures for extra sparkle. 🍬 𝟐. 𝐅𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬 → 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛 𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 Dollar stores sell tons of plastic candy canes. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: * Glue a candy cane to a skewer * Add a bow * Insert into a pot for instant holiday cheer 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟: * Rosemary * Basil * Succulent arrangements * Small houseplants Bonus: Pets can’t eat the plastic ones (yay). ⭐ 𝟑. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 → 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 Dollar stores often have tiny wooden signs or tags that say things like: * “Joy” * “Believe” * “Merry & Bright” * “Peace” * “Jingle All the Way” 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐲: * Gluing them onto a dowel or stick * Adding ribbon or greenery * Poking into a holiday arrangement Perfect for gift plants, too! 🌲 𝟒. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 & 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞-𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 → 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐝-𝐎𝐧𝐬 Those adorable tiny trees? Yep — they make AMAZING plant picks. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦: * Glue onto a skewer * Add to succulent bowls * Use in fairy garden-style pots