New year resolutions for gardeners
Typical new year resolutions include losing weight, getting more exercise, eating healthy, learning something new, being more environmentally responsible, spending quality time with your kids/ parents.
Gardening can help you keep all of these resolutions.
Want to eat healthier? Why not grow a few vegetables in your home garden? You can’t beat the flavour of a just- picked tomato, a salad of freshly cut lettuce or crisp beans. A handful of freshly snipped herbs will do wonders to improve the flavour of salads, sauces and grilled meats, and herbs are easy to grow.
Winter is the time to order seeds for delicious heirloom tomatoes and other tasty vegetables you can grow from seed. Start small, just choose one or two varieties to try, and see how you make out. Don’t have a dedicated vegetable garden? Not a problem. Edible landscaping is all the rage, just add fruit, vegetables and herbs to your ornamental beds or grow the edibles in containers on a sunny patio or deck.
Don’t be afraid to experiment — grow something that you have never tasted. Let the kids choose a different vegetable to grow, freshly harvested vegetables taste so much better, it’s a great way to try something new. How about trying purple carrots, red lettuce, orange beets or yellow grape tomatoes? Have you ever grown an artichoke ( they are very ornamental) or tasted container grown new potatoes?
I encourage my grandchildren to snip fresh parsley, basil, chives and lemon verbena in the garden. They get to rub the leaves ( a sort of ‘ scratch and sniff’ game) to find the right plants.
Learn something new
Hang a bird feeder in the back garden this winter and keep a log of the birds that stop by for a meal. Websites such as www. birds. cornell. edu will help you identify the birds and have lots of interesting tips for backyard birders.
Join a local garden club — most clubs have monthly meetings and bring in garden experts as speakers. The members may be able help you with gardening questions, someone in the group probably has experience growing the plants you’d like to try, or can put you in touch with someone who can help you. Garden clubs also give you a chance to share your flair for floral design, garden photography or just get together with like minded souls. Visit www.gardenontario.org for information about a horticultural society in your town.
Don’t be afraid to experiment — grow something that you have never tasted. Let the kids choose a different vegetable to grow, freshly harvested vegetables taste so much better, it’s a great way to try something new. How about purple carrots, red lettuce or yellow grape tomatoes, or have you ever grown an artichoke ( they are quite ornamental) or tasted container grown new potatoes?
Try growing a few vegetables or flowers from seed. It is fascinating to watch a tiny seed sprout and grow into a large plant. Growing annuals from seed for a cutting garden is a fun and very rewarding project. Seed grown annuals offer the best varieties and more choices, plus, you will have enough seedlings for your own garden plus extras to share with a friend.
Be more environmentally responsible
This sounds like a heavy task, but it is really simple. Consider planting more flowers for bees and pollinators, native plants can be woven through your existing gardens. Carefully chosen native plants that are drought tolerant can reduce maintenance chores while creating a habitat for native birds, butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects.
When selecting a new tree or shrub for your property, consider a native species that will bear fruit, berries or seeds to feed the birds. Good selections for our area include white oak, red maple, serviceberry, witch hazel and black gum. Visit www.guelph.ca/healthylandscapes for information and lists of native and drought tolerant plants for southern Ontario gardens.
Spend more quality time with your kids/ senior parents
Let the kids help in the garden — they can help with planting, watering and at harvest time. Ask them to cut a few flowers for an arrangement for the table. Don’t make helping in the garden a chore, treat it like an adventure. Encourage the kids to explore the garden and see which animals, birds and insects are calling your garden home.
Spend time with a senior or grandparent in the garden. Ask them about their experiences with gardening. What did they grow? What did they love about the gardens or farms at home? I’ve posed these questions to many seniors over the years — I love to watch their eyes light up when they talk about home grown tomatoes, corn or roses.
Cut a bouquet of flowers from your garden and share them with a senior neighbour or drop them off at a local seniors residence — even better, let the youngsters help you design and deliver the bouquet.
Exercise/ Lose weight
Did you know that three hours of gardening is equal to one intense gym session? The average gardener spends about five hours per week and burns 722 calories, weeding, digging, mowing the lawn, pruning, planting and pushing a wheelbarrow. Over a six month growing season, that adds up to 18,722 calories, equivalent to running seven marathons. An added bonus, you get to spend time outdoors enjoying nature and your garden will look fabulous.
— Theresa Forte is a local garden writer, photographer and speaker. You can reach her by calling 905- 3517540 or by email at theresa_ forte@ sympatico. ca.
GARDENING