Gardening Sweet Spots
By Donna Hessel
I’m not one for making many New Year’s Resolutions. However, January is a great time to think about possibilities for gardening in 2021 even if they are not defined as “resolutions.” Here are some suggestions you might consider.
#1 – Clean out the shed or garage and organize gardening “stuff.”
Tools, pots and containers, seed packets and stored seeds, labels and tags, basket liners, fertilizer and soil sacks and bottles of pesticides — we’ve all got that “stuff.” And, likely, it has been ignored for awhile and piled up in various nooks and crannies, so you have a frustrating time finding something that you need when you need it.
Resolve to clean up and organize! Discard expired materials and worn-out tools or those you don’t use any more, sort pots and containers and stack by size, store seeds, labels and tags in labeled baskets or boxes. Maybe purchase shelves or a new cabinet to store gardening materials in one place. It’s a big job, but you’ll be glad you did it when you can quickly find everything you need.
#2 – Plan to plant something new – maybe something “native.”
Try planting something new this year. Give up some of the regulars you plant every year to make room for native plants that will attract pollinators and add beauty to your garden. Need suggestions? Check this comprehensive website for plants native to our area and the growing conditions they require (pages 13-16 lists trees, shrubs, perennials, etc. native to our area).
#3 – Plant a vegetable or herbs you haven’t tried before.
Don’t have a vegetable garden? You can plant a veggie or herbs in a large container or in flower beds among the blossoms. You may like it so much it will be the start of a future garden bed devoted to veggies and/or herbs! Growing our own food is currently very trendy, not to mention healthy and a definite benefit when preparing real food meals!
#4 – Go on a garden excursion.
Visit the Cleveland Botanical Garden or Holden Arboretum this year. Get design inspiration, discover the identities of plants that you didn’t know the names of, or simply relax and enjoy the beauty of the gardens and surroundings. You can visit even if pandemic restrictions are in place by making advance reservations at the organizations’ websites: cbgarden.org and holdenarb.org.
#5 – Treat yourself to a good gardening book.
Gardening books are a great way to stay involved in gardening during the winter or when the sun isn’t shining. Resolve to read at least one gardening book this year, whether it be a how-to book or a visit to an outstanding garden here or abroad. A Google search for “gardening books 2020” will provide lots of choices!
#6 – Create a garden journal and track what you plant and how it grows through the seasons.
Document your garden. Create a garden journal — an invaluable record of what you have planted, where it was planted and how it grew over the spring, summer and fall seasons. Take seasonal photos of your gardens – so easy now with our cell phones! You’ll refer to it again and again – for planning the next year’s gardens or just to enjoy photos of this year’s. And to determine whether those green sprouts emerging in the spring are a perennial or a weed to be pulled!
#7 – Introduce a child to the joys of gardening.
Invite a young person to join you in the garden – perhaps to plant something of their own choosing and learn how to nurture it into a beautiful flower or vegetable. Or, invite a young friend to join you on a visit to a public garden. (The Hershey’s Children’s Garden at the Cleveland Botanical Garden is a delightful place for children’s visits in the summertime.) Plant the seeds early that can mature into a life-long love of gardening.
#8 – Join your local garden club.
As always, Emerald Necklace Garden Club, with members in Brecksville and surrounding communities, welcomes guests and new members. Meetings from February through May will be via Zoom on the second Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. A featured speaker on a gardening topic will present at 10 and a short business meeting will follow at 11. The link to the Zoom meeting will be posted on the “meetings” page of the club website. If you live in a more distant city, you can look for a garden club in your community at GardenClubOfOhio.org.
Whether or not you implement any of the above possibilities, I hope you will have a very happy new year with many enjoyable moments in your garden.
Photo courtesy pexels.com
