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It is at this time of year when I most truly wish I was a farmer. Each year, for the last 7 or 8, my wife, Rosanne, and I have hosted a holiday open house. The most special part of this party is that I bake between 70 and 80 dozen cookies in about 20 different varieties. The reason for the farmer wish above is I really would love to be able to put more of my own garden products into my cookies.

It's what's inside that counts

Each year I end up having to buy walnuts, pecans and peanuts and a host of other ingredients. I can only imagine what my cookies might taste like if I had a few trees in the "back forty" for cherries, nuts and citrus. Of course, they all taste fine as they are, but looking out into my garden as I bake always brings such thoughts to mind.

Next year, I think I will try and get more ingredients from the local farmer's market and farm stands in the agricultural communities to the north of us. Each year I try something a little different and supporting local farmers during the holidays is a good tradition to start. I am sure my son, Joseph, would get a big kick out of "shopping for cookies."

Joe has been very keen to participate in any way he can this year. I have been letting him help me cook the family meals for the last few months and even though he is not quite 3 he can stir a pot of pasta with the best of them. He has his jobs now, including pressing a design into the top and rolling certain cookies in powdered sugar. This is the first year he has really been aware of the holidays and their associated traditions so it is very exciting to have him around.

I do get a few small ingredients from my garden and those of my friends. My lemon tree provides juice and zest and I can always grab an orange from a friend if I need one. That is about it, though.

Time to trim

While I don't get many cookie supplies from my garden, I do get quite a bit of material for decorating. When it is time to "trim" the house for the holidays I only have to head outside and do a little "trimming" myself. I have one coast redwood that I like to use for building wreaths as the needles are relatively flat and lay against a wreath form very nicely. Other pines, including the Aleppo pine, provide larger branches for doorway swags and bundles of boughs casually collected in wicker baskets. Quickly, arrange the limbs, add a large red bow and you have nearly instant decorations.

Since we really can't grow traditional holly here in Southern California, I rely on 2 substitutes. One is the native Toyon bush, also know as the Christmas berry, as it conveniently provides a harvest of red, holly-like berries at this time of year. The other supplier is the Nandina or Heavenly Bamboo. It throws off a bounty of red berries that offer a reasonable facsimile of holly. I often use both of these plants to dress up centerpieces and other floral arrangements.

Even if you are in the depth of a cold and snowy winter there are a few ways of bringing your garden indoors for the holidays. Instead of dreaming about next year's garden while paging through your stack of garden catalogs, get outside and bring some greenery in for the holidays.

Keep digging!

Douglas