The New Year is here once again and I’m sure that all of us, not just gardeners, are hoping for some better weather through 2013! One of the pleasures of gardening is being able to relax outdoors and enjoy the garden and all that it is used for, be it admiring flowers and shrubs, harvesting and cooking produce from the vegetable garden or simply reading a good book whilst relaxing in a chair or on a sunny lawn.
Despite the weather, I like to plan ahead for the forthcoming year as best I can and decide what can be done in our own garden to make tasks easier and cut down on work. My allotments are still so wet that no winter digging has been done at all through the autumn months, when it should have been starte
So here are my New Year’s resolutions for the coming year.
- Don’t panic about the allotments! Start from the beginning and cultivate a little at a time, gradually building up the production again, as and when time and the weather allows. Remember – most of us, even keen growers, are in the same boat!
- Tidy the garden shed on a more regular basis! Too often I find packets of fertilizers, grits and twine that are not used up. I have gone and bought more because I have not checked the shed properly for leftovers.
- Throw out all of my part used packets of seed from last year and buy new. I have found to my cost that sowing old seed is often a waste of time and effort. It is also another factor that needs to be considered when there is poor germination, so you are never sure if it is the old seed or the weather that are to blame!
- Carry on making as much compost as possible. It’s an easy way to recycle garden and kitchen waste as well as making homemade mulch - an excellent soil conditioner.
- ‘Mulch, mulch and mulch again’ as someone once said! I think this is the best job that can be done in the garden. Spreading homemade mulch on borders cuts down on weeding, conditions the soil and feeds the plants without digging, as well as adding organic matter which helps retain moisture.
- Prune shrubs as soon as they have flowered if they need it and prune the long summer growths, in early autumn to keep them in shape.
- Plant more summer flowering bulbs in the spring. Lilies, Dahlias and Gladiolus make beautiful flowers for arrangements but are also useful to drop into gaps in borders for late colour, if they are grown in containers. I never have enough of these!
- Look after my lawn! This year I will give my grassed areas two treatments – one in the spring and another in the autumn, which will build the grass up for the winter.
- Enjoy my garden for relaxation as well as working in it. Gardening is a hobby and shouldn’t be a chore!
- Visit my local garden center at least once a month to look at new plants of interest and products that I can use in my own garden and on the allotment!
Have you made any resolutions. We'd love to hear them. Let us know on Twitter (@Notcuttsuk) or on Facebook.
Wishing all our readers a very Happy New Year!
