Tracy Mehlin

In December I tend to do most of my gardening from the comfort of my rocking chair by the window. Planning, scheming, dreaming.

I have big plans for a new garden "room" in my backyard. Have you heard about this "room" concept? The idea is that a garden is more interesting if it divided into smaller sections or rooms that are distinct from the larger space. A room can be defined by "walls" of a hedge or screen of some kind, the "floor" such as paving or lawn, the "ceiling," a pergola or string of twinkling lights. I designed and built a Mediterranean sun patio last year. My new room will be a shady retreat for the stifling hot days of August (remember those?) with a mixed stone paver floor, a retaining wall on the north side and fountain. I'm thinking of a cool color scheme with blue hostas, ferns and perhaps some columbine and iris for color. The ceiling will be the branches of near-by plum tree. Because of the tree I need to install a patio that won't hurt the roots. Tree roots not only need water, but also oxygen. That means I can't pour a concrete foundation for the pavers nor can I excavate and dump on 8 inches of gravel and sand. What I'll do is compromise with a shallower base of gravel and sand, placing the pavers a few inches apart so water and air can percolate through. The grade won't be perfectly level and the pavers will shift over the years, but the creeping ground covers will hide any imperfections.

I really want a formal fountain with perhaps Moorish style tile base. Something that might be found in a garden in Mexico or Portugal. Nothing too massive or expensive, of course. And I want to build it myself! (Remember, I'm dreaming here!) I've tiled my bathroom, so how hard could it be to make a concrete form, tile it, install a water pump and hide it with a overflowing ceramic urn? Well, that's the vision. I'll report back next summer to see if it happened.

Once I have electricity out there for the fountain I can hang a string of little white lights to complete the room.

My December to do list includes; divide the 'Green Spice' Huechera; dig up all the low-yielding, poor flavor strawberries that sent out a million runners; cut back the English ivy that creeps in from my neighbor's yard; start regular nightly hunts for variegated cutworms (slugs aren't the only evil-doers eating holes in Ballard's perennials); and start trench method of composting in the vegetable garden (more on this later).

Cold weather tip: Those lovely florist's Cyclamen with marbled leaves and big flowers in white, red or pink prefer cool temperatures. The cooler the better. In fact I leave mine outside by the front door. I only bring it inside when temperatures threaten to freeze.

Tracy is a librarian at the Elisabeth C. Miller Library, University of Washington Botanic Garden.