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December
26, 2001
Wrapping
Up The Holidays...
I certainly hope you had a wonderful Christmas day. We
are finishing up our holiday visit with Kevin's family in
Maryland. They are less than an hour from Washington, DC so
this year we all went down to our nation's capital to see the National
Christmas Tree. A combination of good weather and great
company made for a great holiday day trip. The weather here
is cold (highs around 35°) but I understand it's even colder in
KC. We'll be back shivering with the rest of you
tomorrow.
Each year we publish a list of New Year's Resolutions for
Gardeners. Last
year's resolutions generated a lot of support from our
readers and several will be repeated again this year. Try
as we may, we are not perfect and we certainly fell short
of some of our own promises. I hope you'll join us in
trying to meet at least a few of this year's resolutions.
Listed
below are our recommended resolutions for 2002. Let us know
what you think!
~
Shelly
New
Year's Resolutions for Gardeners
2002
- Start
Something From Seed
This can humble any gardener but it is so rewarding to take your little seedlings
out into the big garden world and see them thrive. So,
use some of your spare time this winter to prepare
yourself an indoor planting area and plan on starting
some plants from seed!
- Join
Us at the Philadelphia Garden Show
If you've ever wanted to attend a first-class flower
and garden show this is the one. We're big
supporters of the local lawn and garden shows but
there's really no comparing anything we have in KC to
what they do in Philly each year. Trust us, this
is worth it...
- Start
Composting
Make this the year that you actually do this.
Kevin and I are composting quite a bit now (but we can
always do more). Composting can be a year-round activity that provides
your garden with a super rich amendment.
- Install
A Drip Irrigation System
We still think this was one of our best (and least
expensive) investments. You will be amazed at how much less water you will use
and how much more effective your watering will be with
a drip irrigation system. Start small. Buy a starter
kit for a small area of your garden. They can be
bought from most garden centers and many retailers.
- Plant
Something New
Among other new plantings in 2001 we successfully
planted garlic, a dwarf red maple, and some Boston Ivy
to grow against our chimney. We were less
successful with our tomatoes (too little sun) and
dwarf hydrangeas (too much sun). Though we
haven't yet chosen this year's experiments you can be
sure we will try several more.
- Devote
Part of Your Garden to Kids
If you have small children start teaching them the
joys (and challenges) of gardening right away. Get
them involved in seed starting this winter. Set aside
a few square feet of garden they can call their own
and share their pride as their plantings grow.
- Challenge
Yourself to Garden Through Autumn
This is a toughie! We can all relate to that hot,
humid weather that we experience in late July and
August. It is difficult to maintain a garden (and your
enthusiasm) in extreme conditions but challenge
yourself to at least maintain what you have. Once the
weather starts to break you can rejuvenate yourself
and your garden with fall plantings. Don't let the
summer heat kill your gardening spirit!
- Share
Divided Perennials with a Neighbor
Have you ever ventured out into the garden to find
that you have a perennial taking over a large area?
Time to divide that baby and share it with a friend or
neighbor. Not only is this a great way for you to thin
your garden but it is a great way to talk to friends
and neighbors about things they are growing and plants
that you might want to swap with them. Anyway you look
at it it's an opportunity to share a part of you and
your garden!
- Plant
Something Where Nothing Has Been Planted Before
Is there a nook or corner in your yard or garden that
is begging for a shrub or some flowers? Make the most
of your landscape. Try planting in new places; areas
that have not been planted before, areas where the
grass might not be doing well or there is too much
shade or too much sun. In 2001 we started our
new shade garden under the magnolia tree in the front
yard. It's doing much better than the sun
starved grass that it replaced. Unleash your imagination and be
creative.
- Tell
10 People About Savvygardener.com
OK, here is an easy challenge! Kevin and I would
like everyone of our readers (over 3,100 of you) to
tell someone you know about Savvygardener.com!
We are very thankful for all the new subscribers that
have been referred by our readers but there are still
some area gardeners that haven't found us yet. Give
them a nudge. Here's
an easy way to do it...
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