Although the garden is dormant now, heed the call of the outdoors and spend time in your favorite garden space. Activities with family and friends, or a solo project to center yourself during the hectic holiday season, will bring you into the new year feeling happy and energized. The Garden Consultants, Inc. Create outdoor decor that will carry beyond the holidays by using cuttings from your garden. Mix evergreen boughs, brightly colored branches, berries, pinecones and seed heads for potted arrangements, wreaths and swags. Not enough variety of materials to choose from in your own garden? Plan a cuttings exchange party with a friend or two.

6 Branches and Berries to Spruce Up Holiday Decor Jocelyn H. Chilvers Evergreens Euonymus spp and Mahonia repens, with its bright blue berries, plus the colorful stems of redtwig dogwood, are a simple but effective trio.

5 Container Gardens for the Holidays and Beyond LandscapeLens Make repairs to the hardscape elements of your garden, such as arbors, fences and gates. Access to these structures may be easier and there's less chance of damaging nearby plants while the garden is dormant. BLANCO BLANCO Continue building compost. Add kitchen scraps to your compost pile and turn it every couple of weeks to keep it working and breaking down. Urban Hedgerow Craft a sophisticated wall hanging like the one shown here or keep it simple. Foraging for the components and assembling them could be a fun memory-making activity for the family. Come spring, this will become home to some of the pollinating insects that are so important to our gardens. Rizzoli New York Bringing Nature Home: Floral Arrangements Inspired by Nature Give the gift of gardening. For experienced gardeners and rank beginners alike, the quest for gardening knowledge is never ending. A great garden book, a membership to a gardening organization like the American Horticultural Society, a gift certificate for a class or a consultation with a garden coach would be a welcome and appreciated gift.