Every year around this time I feel a familiar excitement. It may still be midwinter, with snow on the ground and bitter winds whipping around every corner, but inside, I’m poring over seed catalogs, admiring Pinterest boards overflowing with rose gardens and well-ordered veggie patches, and generally making a lot of grand plans that will, if we’re being honest, eventually come to naught. It’s not that my intentions aren’t honorable. I really meant to get a jump on pulling all those weeds! And this will definitely be the year I remember to start my seeds indoors six weeks early. If you’re like me and need a way to harness your momentum, (or need something to hold you accountable, as the case may be), turning some of those promising ideas into New Year’s resolutions may be just the thing to keep us all motivated well past the first of January and start the year off right.
Clean and Preparing Tools
Cleaning and prepping my garden tools for the upcoming season is one task I’m guilty of skipping almost every year. Though I know my hardware is a valuable investment, I tend to neglect this chore in favor of more glamorous activities like choosing another variety of tomato or hanging up a new bird feeder. But this is the year to give these pieces the attention they are (desperately!) due. Tools can be cleaned with soap and water, or use a coarse metal brush to scrape away stubborn dirt. Use sandpaper on any parts that have started to rust, or to remove splinters from handles. Then, apply mineral spirits to help prevent the splintering that can sometimes occur.
Try Something New
Planting a new perennial or flowering shrub may seem like an obvious suggestion, but I’ve found it’s much easier to commit in theory than it is in practice. Reading magazines or looking at design books are great ways to get inspiration, but when it comes time to plant I tend to reach for the same reliable mainstays, again and again. Still, letting yourself have the freedom to make mistakes is part of the fun of gardening. Step away from the hostas for that shady spot and try something like pulmonaria or a heuchera. In your containers, try mixing in some herbs with the annuals. Or, plant something tropical, just for that summery splash of color. Remember there’s always a clean slate the next year if you try something that doesn’t work out.
Start Seeds
One of my favorite winter pastimes is curling up with a pot of tea and a stack of seed catalogs, the chillier the day is outside, the better. I mark off all the uncommon varieties I want to try in the coming season and daydream about the lush cutting garden and bounty of blooms I will have in just a few short months. And with all the money I’ll save by starting the seeds and transplanting them myself, I can certainly afford to add a few more packets to my cart! There’s still plenty of time to set up the lights, buy the growing medium, and clear a space for the seedlings … I’ll figure that out next week. As the weeks pass, my to-do list turns into a second, and before I know it, I’m back at the garden center buying plants and plotting the best way to store my seeds for next year. Best of all, now that you have turned this into a New Year’s Resolution to keep you focused, this year will be different. Right?
Compost
Like most gardeners out there, I love peeking into other people’s backyards. Equal parts inspiration and aspiration – look at that cute shed! It’s fun to just admire another gardener’s hard work and to get new landscaping ideas. What I want to adapt from my neighbors this time is composting. Forget the perfectly pruned roses or dahlias the size of dinner plates. A well-maintained compost pile always impressed me! Best of all, I have the recommended 3-foot by 3-foot space. I also have plenty of autumn leaves to get the pile started, as well as newspapers for shredding. Oh, and did I mention the kitchen scraps? Being a vegetarian, my waste bin is regularly stocked with plant-based products like fruit and vegetable peels and rinds. All that’s left now is to build my pile, keep it moist, then turn it every couple of weeks. And wait for Mother Nature to do her thing.
Plant Bulbs
Every spring the sight of the bright, cheerful tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths blanketing my neighborhood in color makes me wish I could turn the clock back to October and have another chance at planting bulbs. Such a welcome sight after our long, gray Midwestern winters, the bulbs popping up in spring just fills me with joy and optimism about all the good things we have to look forward to. But in the fall, after a summer of weeding and watering and pruning, all I’m really looking forward to is a break! My thoughts are consumed by apples pies and crackling fires, and I’m ready to put the tools away for a few months and treat myself to a manicure. But of all the resolutions on this list, and even the ones that didn’t make it into print, I am thoroughly committed to getting more spring-blooming bulbs in the ground in time. Next fall, once the soil temperatures cool, I’ll select them, pick a good spot (full sun is best for most bulbs), and get them planted. Just knowing there is a riot of color waiting to burst forth in April and May will sustain me through the months of cold and sleet and snow. Well, that and the fire and the pie.
Whether your resolutions match the ones on this list or not, it’s always best to go into a new season armed with a plan. Write down the goals you hope to accomplish this year, projects to tackle, veggies to grow. Clip pictures from magazines, draw up a diagram, and most importantly, stick with it! And if the next season flies by again before we’ve completed every single item on our list, call it a head start on the following year’s resolutions.
Happy Gardening in the New Year!