By late
January many New Year’s resolutions and good intentions have been filed away in
our minds as a distant memory. That
could be a good thing if those resolutions and intentions were too aggressive; small
lifestyle changes that are embraced are more valuable than dramatic changes which
aren’t realistic.
Recently, I read
approximately 50% of Americans don’t bother to make New Year’s resolutions at
all. Since it is a long-standing
tradition to embrace a new year (and new decade) with an element of change, consider
creating a short list of resolutions relevant to GARDENING.
Suggestions follow:
Grow ONE
plant from seed that you normally would purchase as a seedling; veggie or flower, you choose. (some examples of plants that germinate
easily and perform well from seed: marigolds, cilantro, morning glories, swiss
chard)
Learn the
Latin name (genus and species) for two of your favorite plants… tree, shrub,
perennial. I learned a tip in
horticulture class that Googling on a plant name using the genus and species
will yield more detail than using the common name. (Often typing in the common
name will direct you to a website to PURCHASE the plant, when you are actually
trying to learn more.) Simply type in
the Google search: genus red maple
(You will learn it is Acer rubrum, which will allow you to
further search internet using those words in your search engine.)
Plant
something new and different in your garden space; it might be a new cultivar—just
released—OR a flower you have never tried before. It might be a culinary herb you have not
grown in years past. You might choose a
new annual, bulb or perennial.
Be BOLD,
have FUN!
Choose a
PPP (Pollinator Pleasing Plant) a specimen that attracts desirable insects to
your garden space. This can be as simple as planting Italian
flat leaf parsley which often attracts yellow swallowtail butterflies to lay
their eggs; I’ve witnessed this twice—the female selects the TALLEST leaves
and uses her ovipositor to insert eggs into each leaf. Since the parsley patch is also used for
culinary purposes, I harvest only the LOWEST leaves from each stem. Each swallowtail caterpillar I find on these
plants is a gift; I plant enough parsley so they can eat all they wish, and
there is still enough for my cooking needs.
Our 2020
gardening season commences soon (depending on where you live)… embrace change,
try something BOLD and BEAUTIFUL!
M. Lynn
Schmid, Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
