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New Years Resolutions for Gardeners

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Happy New year everyone! I hope that you all have a fantastic year!

When we thinking of making New Years resolutions it’s usually something about ourselves, such as, to be a better person, to lose weight, to quit smoking and so on, but do we ever resolve to take better care of our gardens? I don’t think so.

Since I wasn’t feeling very well this past year I wasn’t out in my garden as much as I was in past years. Usually I’m out there every day – dead heading, trimming, adding organics to the soil and so on. I really fell off this fall when I didn’t even put my garden to bed for the winter. Yes, this year it is totally without winter protection. It should be interesting to see what happens come Spring time.

So in the New Year, I’ve decided to try to follow these great tips from the Plant Doctors at The American Phytopathological Society – perhaps you will too:

  • Mulch my perennials after the ground freezes to help them overwinter comfortably even though temperatures may fluctuate.
  • When studying plant catalogs, look for pest- and disease-resistant plants, such as mildew-resistant phlox, Fusarium-resistant tomatoes and disease-resistant crabapples that will make my gardening job easier and keep my plants healthier.
  • Send a soil sample to a laboratory to learn what my lime and fertilizer needs are, rather than guessing.
  • Set plants in the ground only at the proper depth-deep planting harms roots and kills plants!
  • Use only the well-drained areas of my garden for plants-unless I purchase some swamp-loving species!
  • Inspect plants carefully before purchasing to find evidence of invaders such as spider mites, scale insects or mealybugs, or root swellings that might mean crown gall disease on plants such as flowering cherries or roses.
  • Spread a circle of mulch around young trees to keep lawn mowers from damaging the bark, leading to canker diseases later on.
  • Use only a few inches depth of mulch and keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems of plants to discourage crown rot.
  • Scout regularly for symptoms in the garden, so that I can pick off the occasional spotted leaf before problems escalate.
  • Irrigate new trees and shrubs the first two years especially during dry weather to help them establish good root systems.
  • Use a soaker hose or some type of irrigation system for the flower beds and vegetable garden that won’t wet the foliage and encourage leaf spots.
  • Obtain a diagnosis when the cause of a problem is unclear or needs identification.
  • Prune only in dry weather, especially when pruning plants prone to fire blight, such as pears, crabapples and hawthorns.
  • Encourage beneficial insects and mites by minimizing use of broad- spectrum insecticides.
  • Join a Master Gardener class to learn more about the fun of growing and maintaining plants.

To the New Year and better gardens for all.






More flower garden tips

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Large groups of contrasting flowers or flower colours planted side by side can create a spectacular effect.

If you don’t have much space in your garden don’t over do it with a large number of plant species – fewer plants in multiple plantings often works out better.

Some plants with colourful flowers in spring or early summer can also produce tasty fruit later in the season. Consider planting Cherry, apple or crabapple trees.

To add height and dimension to your garden do consider planting climbing vines and flowering vines on trellis’, and arbors. We do this with several species of clematis, and honeysuckle.

when planting- particularly perennials, trees and shrubs – consider the mature size of the plant and follow the instructions as to how much space they will eventually need.

Curved flower beds or curved groups of plantings are much more visually appealing than straight rows or perfect circles.

mulching your garden with attractive wood chips will not only help hold moisture into your gardens soil, but it will help prevent weeds and other unwanted plants from growing in your flower beds. Also, mulch will eventually break down and add organic matter to the soil and enrich your flower bed in general.

Don’t water on windy days – the water you are using will evaporate faster.

Attract the good bugs to your garden like lady bugs, praying mantis, and the non-stinging Trichogramma wasp to your garden for natural pest control. They are the best aphid destroyers!

Tips for your lovely flower garden

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Here’s some tips that I’ve found on various sites that will help you create or tend to your flower gardens with ease:

When planning your flower garden, follow the rules of painting using complementary colors or shades of one colour to create a balanced looking garden.

Flower gardens, or any type of garden really, look much more attractive when plants -annuals, perennials, shrubs and grasses are planted in groups of odd numbers.

Regularly maintain your flower garden and other plants on your property by pruning or trimming shrubs to maintain good shape – even in the winter, and dead head your flowers which will not only make your garden more attractive but in many cases will promote the production of more blooms.

When planting flowers under trees make sure that the plants do well in shade, and since trees roots often cause the ground to be drier under a tree make sure the plants are drought tolerant as well.

You also want to avoid damaging the roots of shrubs or trees when digging near them to plant flowers or other plants. dig small separate holes for each new plant.

Try not to put new plants where they will damage existing structures- such as a heavy vine that you want to grow on a fence – but that will end up getting so heavy that it will eventually damage the fence.

Flower and other types of gardens should be planted in a way so that they drain away from your home. You don’t want extra water gathering under the ground and coming back to damage your foundation.

The use of drip irrigation systems in garden beds or in individual plant pots can save water and keep a plant evenly watered.

Water in the early morning, or in the late afternoon when it’s cooler and when the sun is not shinning directly on your plants to help conserve the water you are using and avoid quick evaporation.

Plant perennials and annuals in your garden that attract birds and other wildlife that will prey on insect pests in your garden.

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