Resolutions for better gardens helpful

By: 
Rob Zimmer
Columnist

Many people make New Year’s resolutions to carry them through and help them make changes or transformations through the new year. With that in mind, why not commit to some New Year’s resolutions for your garden? Here are some great ideas to help you make the most of gardening in 2023.

Invest in an Aero garden or similar model. The ability to grow fresh herbs, greens, flowers and even small vegetables indoors, all winter long, is a wonderful winter gardening hobby. With a tabletop or desktop lighted Aero garden, you can continue to harvest fresh herbs and greens all winter long, and grow them just about anywhere. Since these machines grow using just water and built-in light, they can be placed anywhere in the home.

Growing more native wildflowers, grasses, trees and shrubs is a great goal. Mixing and combining natives in with traditional garden plants is a wonderful way to provide an extra source of nectar, pollen as well as fruits and nuts for songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies and wildlife. Follow me here all through winter, spring and summer for more information on the best native plants for wildlife.

One of the best things you can do as a gardener is to introduce a young child to the hobby and keep him or her interested. Children really are the future of gardening. As more and more adults age and move into assisted living centers and out of homes and into apartments, gardening dreams fade and less and less people enjoy the hobby.

It is vital that we involve children in gardening, get them interested at a young age and show them all of the beauty and wonder and importance of growing your own flowers, food and vegetables. Throughout the year, I will give many examples of ways to get children excited about gardening and to help them enjoy it for a lifetime.

Try something new. For many gardeners, trying something new is intimidating. Each year, plant growers breed many new varieties of some of our old-fashioned favorites. There are always new perennials and annuals and shrubs to choose from. Try growing something you’ve never grown before.

Growing your own mushrooms at home is also a wonderful way to expand your gardening hobby and makes a great resolution. If you enjoy edible mushrooms, many online sources and retail outlets now sell easy to use mushroom grow kits that can be used indoors or out. Enjoy fresh mushrooms all year-round with one of these amazing kits.

Do a simple online search to look at all the amazing varieties available that can be used right indoors in a closet, basement or table top. There are different varieties and styles and sizes. All work relatively the same. Just add water and enjoy fresh mushrooms within a few weeks.

Set up a bird feeding station. Feeding birds goes hand-in-hand with gardening. Especially during the winter season, when our gardening time is limited, it is such a wonderful joy to be able to look out the window and see colorful songbirds busily feeding away right in your yard and garden. A good set of binoculars and a good bird field guide are all you need to start a whole new hobby.


Rob Zimmer is a nature and garden author, public speaker and radio show host on WHBY. Readers can find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RobZimmerOutdoors.