Get Ready for Compost

Like most gardeners out there, I love peeking into other people’s backyards. Equal parts inspiration and aspiration – look at that cute shed! It’s fun to just admire another gardener’s hard work and to get new landscaping ideas. What I want to adapt from my neighbors this time is composting. Forget the perfectly pruned roses or dahlias the size of dinner plates. A well-maintained compost pile always impressed me! Best of all, I have the recommended 3-foot by 3-foot space. I also have plenty of autumn leaves to get the pile started, as well as newspapers for shredding. Oh, and did I mention the kitchen scraps? Being a vegetarian, my waste bin is regularly stocked with plant-based products like fruit and vegetable peels and rinds. All that’s left now is to build my pile, keep it moist, then turn it every couple of weeks. And wait for Mother Nature to do her thing.

Plant Bulbs

Every spring the sight of the bright, cheerful tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths blanketing my neighborhood in color makes me wish I could turn the clock back to October and have another chance at planting bulbs. Such a welcome sight after our long, gray Midwestern winters. The bulbs popping up in spring just fills me with joy and optimism about all the good things we have to look forward to.

However in the fall, after a summer of weeding and watering and pruning, all I’m really looking forward to is a break!  My thoughts are consumed by apples pies and crackling fires. I’m ready to put the tools away for a few months and treat myself to a manicure. But of all the resolutions on this list, I am thoroughly committed to getting more spring-blooming bulbs in the ground in time. Next fall, I’ll select them, pick a good spot, and get them planted. Just knowing there is a riot of color waiting to burst forth in April and May will sustain me. Well, that and the fire and the pie.

Whether your resolutions match the ones on this list or not, it’s always best to go into a new season armed with a plan. Write down the goals you hope to accomplish this year, projects to tackle, veggies to grow. Clip pictures from magazines, draw up a diagram, and most importantly, stick with it! And if the next season flies by again before we’ve completed every single item on our list, call it a head start on the following year’s resolutions.

Happy Gardening in the New Year!