Although the winter snow has been building a good water-base in the soil for the upcoming spring, Tom Kasper advises us that it has also provided coverage for voles and other ground critters to feast on your recently-planted trees and shrubs. You might want to do a little snow excavation and get some wrap around the bases of those plants.
If you are not planning to safely recycle your Christmas trees, consider using them around your property as natural habitat for winter birds and other animals, and consider providing them with some winter food as well.
Poinsettias, instead of being discarded after the holidays, can last year round when properly tended. Transplanting them outside in the warmer months and then bringing them back in for winter can provide perennial decor during the holiday weeks and can continue to recall the loved one(s) who may have given them to you. And after several years they can grow rather large, becoming a great alternative to the traditional Christmas tree.
