If you are one of those people that have spare time in December, there are lots of things you can do in the garden to fill that time, and one of them is to prune your bare fruit trees.

And if you think you need more to do, or you don't have any fruit trees, go buy some bare root ones and plant them! (If you are one of us that have no spare time this month, don't despair; you can still do these chores next month!)

There are all kinds of resources that will show you how to properly prune your kind of trees including books, pamphlets and YouTube demonstrations, so be sure to do your homework before you sharpen your tools and tackle this task. The same goes for planting bare root fruit trees.

They are showing up in garden centers now, but doing some research and deciding which variety is best for your tastes and location is good advice before you head out to buy one. They will require full sun and good drainage for a successful crop.

You may need to amend your soil before planting your tree but it will be worth it next year when you taste your first homegrown fruit!