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NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR GARDENERS

January 2, 2015

Traditional new year’s resolutions are for the birds, as far as I’m concerned. I gave up making them ages ago. Basically, I try to be a better person than I was the year before.

But I thought it might be fun to make a few resolutions for gardeners. These are specific to me, but I suspect they translate well to most other gardeners.

1. I WILL NOT TAKE ON MORE GARDENING THAN I CAN REASONABLY HANDLE.
I will not get caught up in my zeal for gardening and plan new gardens and garden renovations and 89 new container plantings in February and then actually try to execute them when June comes.

(I totally will. It cannot be helped).

2. I WILL NOT BEAT MYSELF UP WHEN I TAKE ON MORE GARDENING THAN I SHOULD HAVE.
There are worse things in life than being optimistic about your garden.

3. I WILL ACCEPT THAT GARDENS ARE EVER CHANGING IT AND WILL NEVER BE FINISHED OR PERFECT.
There is no better cure for perfectionism than to become a gardener.

There will still be some weeds, and a bare spot here and there. Seeds will grow where they shouldn’t and won’t grow where they should. Shrubs will stay as small as I expected or grow as large as I had hoped. And it will all be OK. I will strive to accept that joy in gardening comes from the doing, not in it being done.

4. I WILL CLEAN MY TOOLS WHEN I’M FINISHED WITH THEM.
Every time.

5. I WILL SEEK INSPIRATION IN OTHER GARDENS.
A garden that belongs to a gardener who never saw another garden could never be as beautiful as one that belongs to a gardener who takes a little piece of everything he or she sees and brings it home.

Are you making any resolutions for 2015?

 

garden new year
by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
3 Comments

About Erin @ The Impatient Gardener

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previous post: 2014: A YEAR IN REVIEW
next post: PERENNIAL OF THE YEAR IS ONE WORTH GROWING

Comments

  1. Stephen Andrew says: January 2, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    These are oh so wise for gardeners. I have been the laziest gardener the past few years and intend to really put in some work this year. We'll see…
    I put all my small garden tools in the dishwasher and it works great. I used to worry that it would dull my shears excessively, but I really haven't noticed a difference. I'm missing my fresh herbs so much right now!

    Reply
  2. Heather - New House New Home says: January 3, 2015 at 1:17 pm

    I really must start cleaning my tools!! And I'm pretty much on board with your resolutions. And I'm adding one – spend 30 minutes each day in the garden instead of binge gardening once a week.

    Reply

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The Impatient Gardener

Do you love gardening? Me too! I'm Erin and I garden in Southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5. The Impatient Gardener is all about real-life gardening: the good parts, the bad bits and even the funny stuff. It's part information, part inspiration and a little bit commiseration. Thanks for visiting.

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E R I N 🌿 The Impatient Gardener
I had a rather unpleasant realization last night w I had a rather unpleasant realization last night when I remembered that I’d not yet ordered tomato seeds. And I’m not going to rectify that until I dig into my seed stash, because I don’t go through tomato seeds quickly so there are definitely some lurking down there. 

I never used to grow tomatoes from seed because there are great varieties to be had in garden centers (including many heirloom varieties). But it’s almost non-negotiable for me now that I’m a convert to dwarf tomatoes. If you’re not familiar with the #dwarftomatoproject championed by @nctomatoman and others, these are heirloom varieties that are crossed with dwarf varieties to create plant that produces all the flavor and interest of an heirloom in a short (usually less than 4 feet) plant. 

They are particularly great in my tall raised beds. Of course I leave room to try new non-dwarf varieties every year (I loved Sun Dipper from @panamseed last year and I’ll grow it again).

Last year was a good tomato year and the photo shows some of the varieties I harvested in one day. I hope this summer will be equally good for the tomato harvest. 

One of my favorite questions to ask gardeners is: What is your favorite tomato variety to grow? So have at it in the comments because inquiring minds want to know!
And this is why I leave my winter containers assem And this is why I leave my winter containers assembled until at least March. A dusting of snow gives them a whole new look (even if it’s shades of gray). Also, I think I love my Limelight hydrangea even more in winter. Fabulous winter interest!
I’m going to look for opportunities to add more I’m going to look for opportunities to add more ferns to my garden this year. They are such interesting plants and often real problem solvers, bringing texture and color to places that many plants aren’t interested in. Athyrium niponicum (Japanese painted fern) ‘Crested Surf’ grows well for me in part shade (even pushing a bit into part sun) and looks great next to Persicaria ‘Golden Arrow’.
Birds chirping, glorious fresh (i.e. not nibbled o Birds chirping, glorious fresh (i.e. not nibbled on) foliage, and texture galore. I can’t wait to have moments like this again. The star, by the way is Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’ which looks so good with the bold foliage of Ligularia dentata ‘Desdemona’ next to it. 

With the new path, this area will be getting a small revamp. It’s the next spot I’ll be focusing my planning on.
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