THE garden is lean for flowers in December but there are still a few plants that will bloom at this time of year. We have perennial wallflower, fuchsias, lobelia, dahlia and sedum still blooming - the sedum looking particularly good with deep reddish brown flowers and yellowing foliage.

Fuchsias, both hardy and half hardy, can continue to flower well into winter until low temperatures and frost put them into dormancy in the case of hardy varieties or kill them off in the case of tender varieties left outside.

A small, hardy fuchsia grows in our front garden under a variegated dogwood, the last leaves of which are falling to reveal the dark red stems that give us colour all winter.

The stems of the dogwood contrast well for a short time during November and December with the delicate red flowers on the fuchsia which has reverted to having plain green leaves rather than the variegated foliage it was bought for. The plain shoots were removed to begin with but very few variegated ones grew, and those that did were so pale and weak the plant was in danger of dying so it is now grown for the flowers instead.

Some of the less hardy fuchsias are tougher than they look when kept against a sheltered, south facing house wall and protected by other plants so it is worth the risk of over wintering them outdoors if there is nowhere frost free to keep them. The only drawback is that they tend to flower later and get woody if they aren't carefully pruned in spring. It is a good idea to take a few cuttings, especially of favourite plants just in case they don't make it through the winter, and keep them on a windowsill indoors. They can be potted up, hardened off and planted outside next May.

Most hardy fuchsias appreciate a thick layer of compost or leaf mould around their roots to give them a little winter protection. Let them die back naturally and leave the stems unpruned until new growth starts in spring. Treating lace cap and mop head hydrangeas the same way will allow the large, dry flower heads to give structure and interest to the garden and will also protect the stems and new shoots from frost damage.

Topical tip

Christmas trees will be taking pride of place in the house this month. Treat cut real ones well and even a Norway Spruce will hang on to its needles until New Year. Keep the tree outside until it is needed, preferably in a bucket of water then cut about 5cm from the bottom of its trunk and trim off a few of the lower branches. This will make it easier to wedge it into the container. Bring it indoors and either fix into a purpose-made stand with a water reservoir or put back into the bucket and wedge firmly with bricks, stones or chucks of wood. This can be a fiddly job and may take two people if the tree is large. Fill with water and decorate. Check the water level daily and keep topped up - the tree will drink a lot especially in a warm room.

Garden gift

An RHS Gift Membership Pack could be the present solution for a keen gardener this Christmas.

The pack, which costs £39.50, includes RHS membership, a £5 Thompson and Morgan seed voucher, an RHS book (RRP £4.99) bookmark and a copy of The Garden magazine.

Membership of the RHS entitles the cardholder plus a guest free entry to Harlow Carr in Harrogate as well as Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon and Hyde Hall in Essex. There is also free entry to 88 more partner gardens in Britain and 20 more in Belgium and France.

Other benefits include free garden advice from experts at Wisley, a copy of The Garden sent monthly and priority entry and reduced rates for all the RHS Flower Shows such as Tatton Park in Cheshire, Chelsea and Hampton Park.

For further details or to purchase an RHS Gift Membership Pack please contact RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, phone 01423 565418.

Updated: 17:27 Friday, December 13, 2002