THE LAST WORD
Gardening New Year’s resolutions are often more like a wish list and it is a list which is multi-faceted, allowing you to get healthier, fitter, greener, wiser, and mentally stronger, whilst creating a beautiful space which can be pretty, productive, and good for wildlife and the planet in general. For a gardener of all levels of skill and experience, or none at all, the gardening year ahead can be as exciting as you want it to be!
Here are 12 New Year gardening resolutions to inspire your own for the year ahead.
1. Challenge yourself to plant something new whether that be a plant, flower, tree, or vegetable. There is a joy in watching something new grow on well in your garden and it keeps the mind sharp as you learn how best to nurture something different.
2. Grow a flower or vegetable from seed. Watching a tray of seeds germinate and grow into seedlings is one of the most fascinating and rewarding things you can do as a gardener. It is also a great money saver and allows you to experiment without having to pay out a fortune for an established plant.
3. Sow some easy to grow seeds like radishes or lettuce which will germinate quickly and easily to set you off on your food growing adventure.
If you just cannot wait until the temperature outside warms up, try sowing pea shoots on your windowsill for a mega-boost of fresh and tasty goodness.
4. Learn how to compost your garden and food waste. Compost is a nutrient-rich substance that enriches the soil by replacing nutrients used up by plants. It also saves you money in the long run as you will not need to buy bags of soil once you start spreading your fabulous compost around your flower, fruit and veg beds.
5. Hang a bird feeder for a super easy start to encouraging more wildlife into your garden.
6. Plant a variety of pollinator friendly flowers such as foxgloves, cosmos, echinacea, lavender, salvia, poppy, chives and calendula to encourage beneficial bugs to visit your garden which will reduce the need for the use of chemical pest control.
7. Buy more houseplants. Houseplants in your home or workplace can reduce indoor pollutants, dust mites, and smoke. In fact, one plant placed per 100 square feet is enough to see measurable reductions in formaldehyde and carbon monoxide according to experiments by NASA.
8. Volunteer at a local or community garden. There are a huge number of gardens and food growing initiatives which only survive with the help of a willing band of volunteers. You will be rewarded with an increase in your gardening knowledge, an extended social circle, and very often fresh veg to take home. If you cannot find a garden group near you which suits, join an online group so you can both learn from and share your knowledge within it.
9. Visit a local open garden for inspiration. Even the most seasoned of gardeners can pick up plant combination inspiration or stay abreast of the latest gardening trends by looking out beyond their own garden boundary. At many open gardens, you can buy plants so it’s well worth a visit.
10. Read a gardening book or magazine (you are already a winner here), watch a gardening programme, listen to a gardening podcast, take an online course, or attend a local workshop. Increasing your gardening knowledge benefits both mind and body and will save you time in the long run as you learn clever care tips and tricks to use in your own garden.
11. Snap your garden once a month over the course of the year in order to document and monitor the changing seasons. You will not only be amazed when you look back at how your garden evolves but it is a great record for future planning.
12. Enjoy your garden. While you might go all gung-ho in trying to achieve your perfect paradise, never forget to take time to enjoy the colours, textures and scents of your garden. Walk around your garden, take pictures of it, sit down and enjoy it. Invite friends over to spend time in your garden by organising an afternoon tea, a BBQ, or al fresco drinks. A beautiful garden should be talked about, admired, and shared.
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