Once the rains of November have started, many of us hang up our gardening clogs in favour of indoor pursuits. But there's no reason to give up gardening just because it's cold and wet outdoors. Bring your garden inside for the holidays.

One of the best ways to do this is by forcing bulbs to bloom indoors over the Christmas holidays. Fragrant paperwhites are easy to grow: all you need is a water-tight container, some stones and the bulbs. Add water and they’ll be blooming within 4 to 6 weeks. Paperwhites look best when planted in odd numbers. Five bulbs are good but more make a more dramatic statement. If you start a pot every week, you can have “spring flowers” indoors from mid-December to the end of February.

Amaryllis bulbs are just about as easy as paperwhites. These spectacular bulbs produce huge, trumpet-shaped flowers on tall stems. Most bulbs will send up two stems, which bloom one after the other, but the largest bulbs will send up 3 or 4 stems, giving you a very long bloom time. Red is the traditional colour, but take a look at the many other varieties which come in white, lemon-lime, burgundy, pink and even striped.

A little more time is involved in forcing other spring bulbs, but it is still quite easy to do, and very satisfying to have spring bulbs blooming indoors when it’s still cold and wet outdoors. Tulips, narcissus and hyacinths, as well as smaller bulbs like snowdrops, all work well. The bulbs will need 8 to 10 weeks of being in a cool place before you can bring them indoors to force them to bloom. For complete instructions, go to http://www.ehow.com/how_4771538_start-forcing-bulbs-indoors.html  

Another way to bring the garden indoors is to turn your pruning chores into home décor. Something I do every year is bring some evergreen branches inside to put on the mantle or tie as swags along my staircase. I just wander through my garden and look for branches that need pruning to prevent damage to the tree from winter winds. Besides looking good, they smell wonderful. If you can, use a variety of greens with different textures. Variegated boxwood, eucalyptus, magnolia leaves, variegated holly, berried holly, berried juniper, cedar, pine, and fir all make good selections.

You can easily make a swag by tying the branches together with floral wire or string. Simply take several long branches of evergreens, bunch them together, and tie them at the base by wrapping a sturdy floral wire around the stems several times until secure. Wrap a bow around the end to cover your work.  Ornamental seed heads, pine cones, and ribbons can be tied to the swag to give it a festive look.

You can also liven up pots outside your entry in the same way. If your pots are bare now the perennials and annuals have died back, simply push cut evergreen branches into the soil until you have a pleasing arrangement. I usually add a bit of glitter with some artificial stems, and a gorgeous red bow to finish the arrangement. This type of arrangement will look good well into the New Year.

Truth is, gardeners never really stop gardening – we just change venues!
 

Elizabeth Cull, Franchise President

It's that time of year again - and Dig This knows how to celebrate the holidays in style.  Every year, we host a special shopping evening with food, entertainment and most importantly, a fun time for you to see all the great Christmas gifts and home decorating ideas we have this year. 

And then there's the savings.  Everything in the store is 10% off that evening, plus each store will have in-store specials on some of the most sought-after gifts for gardeners.

So mark your calendars!  We'd love to see you at one - or more! - of our Open Houses.

Dig This Nanaimo Wednesday, Novermber 25th 5 to 8 pm

We're all dressed up and ready to go! Our store is full of unique Christmas gifts and holiday decorating ideas, so please come by and enjoy hot apple cider and sweet treats. Enter to win a $50 or $100 gift certificate and take advantage of some terrific in-store specials that are avialable that evening only. This is a fun event you won't want to miss!
 

Dig This at Market Square   Thursday, November 26th   5 pm to 8 pm   

Dig This joins forces with 5 other great stores in Market Square for this not-to-be-missed annual Christmas event. Come browse for Christmas gifts and stunning Christmas decor for your home - while you enjoy yummy nibbles and hot apple cider and listen to our Christmas carollers. Visit each of the stores (Dig This, Muffet & Louisa, Bespoke, New England Square, Only Human and Adore) and have the chance to win one of six $250 gift certificates to one of the participating stores.

Dig This in Broadmead Village   Thursday, November 26th   5 to 8 pm   

Our Special Shopping Evening is one of our most popular Christmas events and this year we are joined by 9 other stores in the shopping centre, so it will be a fun evening.  By visiting all the stores, you'll have the chance to win over $1000 in prizes, including a $250 Gift Certificate from us.  We have a wonderful selection of Christmas gifts and lots of ideas to help you decorate your home for the holiday season in garden-style!  Please come by and enjoy a warm drink and some great nibbles.

 Dig This Sidney   Friday, November 27th   5 to 8 pm.

Come to our second annual Christmas Open House and see what we've got for Christmas. Along with our neighbour, Muffet & Louisa, we've put together everything you need to make your home ready for the holiday season - plus you're sure to find the perfect gift for all those garden-lovers on your list. There will be hot apple cider and snacks and the chance to win a $250 gift certificate.

Dig This Oak Bay   Thursday, December 3rd   5 to 8 pm

While you are out for the annual Oak Bay Avenue Art Gallery Walk, don't forget to visit Dig This. This year, free Kabuki cabs will be running between our store and the Village, so you won't miss any of the fun. Enter to win a $50, $75 or $100 gift certificate, and enjoy some hot apple cider and delicious cheese & fruit from Cheryl's Gourmet Pantry. (We've been told we have some of the best nibbles on the Art Gallery Walk!)