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MASTER GARDENERS REVEAL THEIR 1998 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
Did you know that 90% of Americans make New Year's resolutions? That's the good news. The bad news, according to a University of Washington study, is that 78% of us fail to keep those resolutions.
Despite that rather gloomy statistic, I am devoting this column to "gardeners' resolutions for the new year."
First the resolutions from some of my fellow Master Gardeners. They resolve:
To resist the temptation of buying more plants than I can get planted that same day. Planting seedlings by the rays of a flashlight is not very intelligent behavior.
To plant more unusual and new varieties...to experiment more, rather than planting the "same old, same old."
To surpass last year's achievement of attracting 10 different species of butterflies by planting and developing additional butterfly-attracting flowers, trees and shrubs.
To convert 2,500 square feet of my lawn to a wildflower prairie.
To convert 700 square feet of my lawn to a perennial garden.
To remove three giant basswood trees and develop this space into a giant flower garden.
To add more mulch, compost and other humus-rich additives to my soil.
To not plant similar varieties so close to each other. Last year I planted six varieties of squash close together, which encouraged disease spread and suppressed yields.
To protect my back from injury by exercising before I begin gardening and by practicing more sensible ways of bending, lifting, kneeling and using tools.
To get my annuals into the ground earlier - by late May instead of late-June. My typical pattern is to wait too long, then plant too many plants, which quickly become over-crowded.
To begin my fall clean-up earlier in the fall, rather than finding myself cutting back old growth and cleaning up after the first snowfall.
To landscape our new home and yard with a section of native prairie, instead of seeding everything to turf grass.
To not use a ladder when I'm pruning trees. That mistake caused me a broken ankle and shattered tibia that required a 6-inch steel plate to repair.
To plant more apple trees now that I've discovered the formula for producing 3-1/2 bushels of apples from my lone 4-year-old State Fair apple tree.
To move my tomato patch to new ground so I can reduce the incidence of blight on my tomato crop.
To spend a little extra to purchase new giant pumpkin seed, instead of thinking my saved seeds from last year will produce a record-breaking pumpkin.
All of those resolutions make perfect sense to me. Now here's my list for 1998:
To build more garden elements out of materials that blend in with my natural wooded surroundings. Examples include arbors and trellises made from branches and logs, and walk paths made out of cross sections of logs.
To amend more of my soil where plants are performing poorly. Actually, most soil can benefit from regular amendments of compost, peat and manure.
To plant more evergreens (yes, I know I've written otherwise in past columns) to attract wildlife and provide winter green. I'll focus on Norway spruce, arborvitae and unusual conifers, and avoid Colorado blue spruce, which is highly susceptible to disease.
To plant more uncommon species of perennials, trees and shrubs. Too many yards are "cookie cutter" copies of the yard next door. Best place to get ideas for uncommon species is the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
To move plants that are in the wrong place. I'll assess whether present locations are too sunny or shady, too wet or dry. All plants will thrive in an ideal environment - the challenge is to create that environment for each plant.
To cut more flowers for bouquets. My summer goal is to have at least one vase of fresh flowers in the house at all times.
Whenever possible, to start from seed, or purchase, award-winning annuals and perennials, rather than settling for the first variety that I come to at the garden center. Look for All America Selections and Perennial Plants of the Year.
To visit more gardens with camera and notebook in-hand. Every garden has at least one good idea we can take home.
Well, I hope you've gleaned at least one or two ideas from this list that you can put to use in your garden. I also hope that you will become part of the 22% of Americans who do, in fact, keep their New Year's Resolutions!
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
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by Cliff Johnson |
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