Sometimes, a better year starts in the garden
New Year’s resolutions for gardeners can be simple and affect just your garden, or they can be far-reaching enough to impact the environment and the whole community. Here are some ideas for you to consider as gardening resolutions.
• I will evaluate my landscape in terms of its environmental appropriateness, with a goal of using less water and fewer pesticides. The analysis will go even further in figuring out how to provide 12 months of color and increase the number and variety of birds that frequent the yard. It will also mean that I am going to convert a specific part of my landscape from turf to groundcover.
• I will improve the nutrition of everyone in the family by growing more vegetables over a longer season, and by trying new vegetables and recipes to increase the types and amounts of vegetables eaten. I realize this will take some family discussions and garden planning.
• I will use the garden to spend more quality time with my family. To do that, I will find out what plants interest the other members of the family and provide space to grow those plants. The quality time we spend together will also be an important exercise opportunity.
• I will stop bagging my leaves and grass clippings, and having them sent to the landfill. Instead, I will use them in my landscape as mulch or compost.
• I will help the effort to restore the monarch butterfly population by adding more nectar-producing plants and milkweed plants to serve as egg-laying sites. I will try to get my family and neighbors to join the effort by showing everyone the caterpillars and the butterflies, along with how to plant milkweed seed.
• I will use the knowledge I have gained about the environment by participating in citizen advisory groups for the city, SAWS, CPS Energy and other community agencies.
• I am going to expand my social networking to include garden- and environment-related contacts. I will enlist the help of my children and gardening friends to identify the opportunities. I will also work to make my involvement active rather than passive.
• I will try a new type of gardening such as water gardening that will require me to learn how to grow new plants and use new cultural practices.
• I will find some new sources of gardening information through online searches, social media, radio, television or the newspaper. I also will participate in a more demanding gardening education such as by becoming a member of an active gardening club or even the master gardeners or Gardening Volunteers of South Texas.
• I will better utilize the environmental and social initiatives promoted by SAWS and CPS, such as rebates, improved technology options and donation opportunities.
• I will try to reduce my family’s carbon footprint in an effort to ease climate change and will support large-scale action to address the problem.