Happy Chinese New Year! We had fun learning about it today in our class (grades 1-3), so I wanted to do a special edition of Mystery Monday to continue the celebration.

Your clues for this week:

• These fruits are used during the holiday because they are thought to symbolize good fortune and prosperity.
• Chinese children receive red envelopes (called lai see in Cantonese) filled with money, along with some fruits.

Can you name this Chinese New Year fruit? Good luck?

While I did have a tropical Christmas in Southern California (the temperatures were around 75 degrees - pure heaven!), I've been freezing away here in Utah for the past few months. The trees and shrubs, for the most part, are bare and the botanical world slumbers away.

It does help a little to daydream of greener times as I write away, though. This month I've covered living Christmas trees and created some new growing profiles. If you've ever wondered what it means if a tree is self-fertile, I've got the answer.

Check out:

• 12 Species of Willow Trees and Shrubs
• Great Choices for Living Christmas Trees
• Growing Cape Honeysuckle
• Growing Fringe Tree
• Growing Quince Fruit
• Growing Weeping Bottlebrush
• How Can I Identify My Trees and Shrubs?
• What Is a Self-Fertile Tree?

What's going on in your garden world right now?

Christmas trees are such an interesting idea. You cut down a live tree, plunk it down in your living room, then toss it to the curb after Christmas is over. The production of Christmas trees itself is actually not so bad for the environment - many trees are replanted each year to provide future crops, which can produce oxygen and facilitate the removal of carbon dioxide. It seems like such a waste, though, to just send it to the landfills.

But just what do you DO with Christmas trees then, instead of throwing them away? I have heard some people use them for firewood. However, as Rod Brouhard--the Guide to First Aid-- points out, Christmas trees are usually quite dry by Christmastime and can burn much faster than you expect. Instead, use one of these 6 ways to recycle your Christmas tree. You can help the environment and keep your family safe.

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On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve Christmas camellias

One common name for Camellia sasanqua is the Christmas camellia. It's natural with the bright red blooms and the lush green leaves. Christmas camellias are great for USDA zones 8-11.

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