Your All Things Plants newsletter for December 12, 2011

• 23 new members.
• 139 new threads.
• 2,861 new posts.
• 1,483 new images to the plant database.
• 202 new comments in the plant database.

Second week in December chat By Trish Whitinger on December 11, 2011 Only 2 weeks left until Christmas! Come chat with us on what is going on in your house! (8 comments)

Garden Tour: Frostweed, (Josephine) By Sharon Brown on December 10, 2011 We're going to Texas this week to visit the beautiful gardens of Frostweed. Come join us as we see what this very gracious lady has to share. (36 comments)

All about Sassafras By Sharon Brown on December 8, 2011 Do you like gumbo? How about hot tea? There's nothing better on a cold winter day than hot soups and hot drinks. How does sassafras enter into the picture? Climb up the mountain with Aunt Bett and me and we'll tell you. (33 comments)

The history of the poinsettia By C. Tee Menser on December 6, 2011 Few plants are as closely associated with any holiday the way the poinsettia is with Christmas. It's an intriguing plant with an interesting history. (35 comments)

Daily Gardening Tips from this week:

December 11, 2011: Have a slug problem? Encourage Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) to live in your garden. One of their favorite foods is slugs. Tip and photo by valleylynn - (26 comments)

December 10, 2011: To keep algae growth from your bird bath drop some pre 1982 copper pennies in. I have what I would call a normal size bird bath & I use 7 pennies. The reason for the pennies being pre 1982 is that before that year the pennies contained more copper. You could also use a small length of copper pipe or tubing. I have found this to work extremely well with the exception of those times when the temps. stay above 90 for extended periods. Tip by flaflwrgrl Photo by imapigeon - (9 comments)

December 9, 2011: Save plastic containers (recycle!) and cut the bottoms out to use in the early Spring garden. You can use them as mini greenhouses to give plants an earlier start. They also provide protection from the bunnies to tender young plants until the plants are more mature. A small slit in the side makes staking them and moving the container to the side during the day easier. Remove the container, or the lid, during the day (don't cook your plants!) and replace it in the late afternoon to store warmth for the evening. Tip and photo by Maridell - (13 comments)

December 8, 2011: A few drops of hydrogen peroxide in your water will also keep the fungus gnats away. Tip by careyana Photo by Shelly - (10 comments)

December 7, 2011: To easily move and prevent large planters from staining the deck or patio, purchase plant caddies. They come in assorted sizes. Tip and photo by mcash70 - (9 comments)

December 6, 2011: Small, plastic, resealable baggies are a gardener's friend. They can be found in the craft section, often with the beads. Use them to save your seeds, as well as for mailing small seeds to friends. They can also be used to germinate daylily seeds. Simply add a small piece of paper towel and moisten with distilled water, works great as you can see the seed when it's ready to plant. Tip and photo by mcash70 - (11 comments)