Inspect trees or have an arborist inspect them to avoid winter storm damage. This is the month to leisurely peruse seed and nursery catalogs. December also is the month for planning or just dreaming about spring gardening projects. Trim chrysanthemums back when they're finished blooming. Deposit the trimmings in the compost pile.
Organized gardeners have more time in spring for the fun stuff.
Conduct a thorough sweep through the garden to make sure small tools and gloves haven't been left out. Chances are your arrangement includes yarrow's distinctive, flat-topped dried flower heads. Achilles was said to have given his men the plant to help stop the bleeding from wounds during the Trojan War. Battlefield surgeons administered crush yarrow to bullet wounds as late as the Civil War. As a reputed cure-all, yarrow also has been used to used to curtail fevers, stimulate appetites and for backaches, earaches, head colds, toothaches, bruises and burns.