The top New Year resolutions include fitness, eating healthy and enjoying life more. Become a gardener and you will reach these goals easily, plus many more. Here’s the short list to get started in January.
1. Plan Now
Start gardening in your mind, then jot it down. Check your landscape plan for what needs to be tweaked or completed. A properly scaled drawing of your outdoor space will assist in plant placement and growth, along with other hardscape objects such as patios or play equipment. If you don’t have a plan or are new to gardening, sketch your landscape using your existing home blueprints as a guide (trace over them) or try a landscape app. Consider hiring a landscape designer, even for small jobs; they are less busy now. A trained eye will match your dream landscape and prevent plant choice mistakes for newbies. Register for garden classes; many are free or low-cost at garden centers and botanic gardens. Apartment or condominium residents can check out small space or container gardening classes. Your local extension office has plant recommendations; find your closest office: . Study seed and plant catalogs, magazines or Internet sites for plant options and hardscape possibilities. Drive around or walk through your neighborhood and view winter landscapes, plants that look good now anchor the landscape all year.
2. Get a Head Start
Finish easy chores that are usually put off until March or later. Clean and sharpen garden tools; buy new ones if they aren’t up to par. Tune the lawn mower — sharpen lawn mower blades, change the oil and spark plug or take it to a professional. If replacing a lawn mower, consider a battery-powered electric mower or push mower for smaller lawns. Declutter — on a warmer winter day clean out and organize the shed or area where garden tools are stored. Inventory and toss outdated garden seeds. Seed viability chart: Get those ancient home and garden chemicals out of your house or garage and dispose of them properly. Start here for information: Or call 311 in Denver County to set up a once-yearly hazardous household pick up; the $15 co-pay is a deal.
3. Go Outside
Recycle Christmas greenery or cut the branches and use for additional plant protection and place on top of perennial beds, around roses or new bulb plantings. Check with your municipality for treecycling information, Denver County is here: . Get a jump on outdoor spring garden clean up if not done this past fall, but only if the soil is dry and unfrozen where you are working. Rake leaves that have blown in or are matting the lawn. Pull, toss or compost (if disease-free) spent container, annual or vegetable foliage. It is okay to cut back dead perennial foliage on many plants, but if they are woody like sage and lavender, wait until spring (if in doubt, wait). Also leave the foliage on any perennials planted the previous year for additional protection during its first year. Rake and even out mulch coverage. Add more if it’s thinned out, up to 2-3 inches, and be careful not to over-mulch, which prevents air and moisture getting to plant roots. Keep mulch six inches away from the base of trees. Keep birds happy with high calorie black oil sunflower seeds, suet and fresh water. Clean the feeder and water dish regularly.
4. Start Seeds
Popular and new introduction seeds (vegetables, annuals, perennials) sell out quickly, so purchase locally or order soon. Inventory, then clean and sterilize all seed-starting equipment and pots with a 1 to 10 bleach or vinegar solution. Empty egg shell cartons and plastic lettuce or yogurt containers can be used for seed starting, so start saving them; just be sure to poke holes in the bottom for drainage. Starting indoor seeds does not require expensive light-framed systems, but they grow much better under 2 to 4 florescent lights (purchased from a hardware store or garden center). A DIY constructed stand or frame to hold the light fixture is easy to build. Use a wooden or PVC frame that uses chains to hold the light fixture over a shelf that supports the seed trays. Chains to hold the fixture can be directly attached to unfinished basement ceiling beams, too. More: Use the plant light stand to grow the majority of annual, vegetable and some perennials seeds starting as early as next month. Seeds to start indoors right now are quick-maturing microgreens and lettuce — both can be grown without indoor lights. Start lettuce seeds in shallow clamshell lids or containers, cover with plastic or a lid until the seeds germinate. Place near a sunny window and snip leaves when three or more inches tall. Leave the roots to continue growing and harvest when they grow back. Microgreens are tiny edible leaves of herbs and vegetables that can be seeded and eaten in two weeks. Use them as a flavorful, nutritious garnish. More:
5. Share
According to a Japanese proverb, “one kind word can warm three winter months.” Stretch yourself in a positive way this New Year and use your garden knowledge to show a friend, relative, neighbor or young person how to start a seed or plant flowers. You’ll both draw closer to the time-honored planting tradition we know as gardening.
Read more from Betty Cahill at gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com
