I know it’s only’s December 18th, but is it too early to start thinking about what we should do better next year? Because I already have a couple of resolutions in mind.
For starters, I don’t want to buy a single plant in 2010. I’m going to grow everything from seed or propagate them from my existing plants. I’m tired of instant gratification. It’s exhausting to constantly chase fulfillment through yet another plant from the nursery. I want to be fulfilled by the process, not the purchase.
I also want to focus on refining my gardening skills. I am starting the master gardener program soon and I’ll be learning a lot of things about being a more technically proficient gardener. I’m really looking forward to that. For example, I don’t really feel competant when making pruning cuts on my fruit trees. I want to make better pruning decisions and improve the beauty of my trees and the quality of their fruit production.
Another thing I want to focus on is finetuning my knowledge of plants that are particularly well suited to container gardening and small spaces. I want to be able to say ‘xyz’ variety of blueberries work really well in a tight space. Or, ‘such and such’ is a really great vine for growing on balcony railings because it won’t damage the paint and is easy to remove when you move.
Anyway, that’s what’s been on my mind lately. What do you want to improve in 2010?
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great resolution! And good luck with the Master Gardener Program!
I think that starting everything from seed makes the whole experience of growing so satisfying… isn’t it? Will be really excited when seeds I collected from annuals in 2009 sprout for me in 2010…
And good, I will have questions with Rasp/Blueberries… Hehe! ?
All very good resolutions! I have similar aspirations for 2010 but definitely not going to be able to make quite that much progress so quickly w/everything else going on…
But I will dream..
GOOD LUCK!
Donna–I’ve already talked to a guy at my fav nursery and he is going to set aside some good blueberries for me when they come in this January. So I’ll have those classes and first hand experience to share.
MaryC–They say that the best way to accomplish your resolutions is to not have too many!
Good luck!!!
The Master Gardener program is a great idea (I never finished – fell asleep during ‘turf management’ and didn’t wake up) . For me this is the year to push the yields on balcony herbs and vegetables and get about 400 tree seedlings to germinate in the spring – thrive through the summer and live through the Toronto winter…. it will be fun.
Hi Fern.
A very inspiring list of resolutions. You’ve prompted me to start thinking about my own so I’ll be ready to list them on January 1st.
One resolution I’m going to make and begin now is to comment more often on other gardeners’ blogs. Since Twitter, I find I’m not commenting as much as I used to. I tend to just retweet the link to the blog post but this isn’t the same or as good IMHO — it doesn’t have the same feeling of connection.
My goal is to construct raised beds. The raised beds will be used for greens. Raised bedding supposed to prevent rodent infestation. I’d rather not create rabbit food, since I have plenty of purslane and ground ivy to keep bunnies full. Another reason, I consider fencing to be a nuisance. I ended up getting a tetanus shot after cutting my knee on a fence post.
Lorraine–400?! WHOA, that’s a lot of trees!
Elaine–I agree. That’s something I’ve been thinking about too. Retweeting is nice, but it doesn’t add to the conversation.
Dana–Have you checked out http://www.anarchyinthegarden.com? Adriana made her own raised beds and even painted them black to suit her tastes.
I’m just starting to think seriously about my new year’s resolutions. It usually takes me until mid January to get them fully defined and organised, but I really enjoy the process. The possibilities and opportunities, but also the chance to step back and think what kind of life do I really want to be living.
Your idea of not buying any more plants really speaks to me. Not that I’m a big plant buyer, or even a big gardener – but the underlying part of rejecting instant gratification and wanting to be fulfilled by the process, not the purchase.
Thanks for posting such a thoughtful piece. It’s definitely going to inform my new years list.
As much as I love collecting, swapping and sowing seeds, growing everything from seed can be a bit overwhelming. Well, you could probably do it since you’re a balcony gardener and you wouldn’t have to grow that much.
Anyway, what was the point of my comment? I forget. Good luck with the growing from seed, one of my favorite parts of gardening.
this is a good list of resolutions. i haven’t even started thinking about mine yet, although i generally don’t actually solidify my resolutions until march…. which may or may not defeat the purpose of even making them!