Happy new year, gardeners

Happy New Year! Almost. I'm making plans…specifically, New Year's Resolutions! And I am ditching, or at least putting on the back burner, "exercise daily," "lose weight, and "eat more veggies and tofu" or for ones that I can actually get excited about. I'm moving my resolutions to the garden. WOOHOO! What fun! What inspiration! And it seems doable! It is also amazing that a quick Google search of educational sites reveals that I am not alone. Extension educators and bloggers throughout the country, including some at OSU, have joined me. So here goes! Number ONE: Get organized. I have to admit that this is a retread from last New Year, although not a perennial like "lose weight." It worked last year and merits some tweaking for 2025. A simple Master Gardener shopping tote, a spiral notebook, a Ziploc bag, and a variety of pens initiated the plan a year ago. I recently grabbed the bag and searched through the Ziploc bag to find the mysterious variety of tomato that was such a success last year. A page ripped from the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog revealed the variety as Atomic Grape. Further scrounging uncovered an envelope of Atomic Grape seeds son Jeff saved and passed along to me. Organization pays off! More Atomic Grape tomatoes for this summer! My spiral notebook uncovered dates of plantings, some clipped newspaper articles, a few weekly garden reflections, and several pollinator planting diagrams — it is still rather hit or miss. Tweaks for 2025 year include recording more consistent garden reflections. I can learn from my successes and failures. Number TWO: Grow something new and crazy! I have already found two options, again from the Baker Creek catalog. One – "Dragon Tongue" bean, their best-selling bean, a compact plant with high yields and 7-inch sun yellow pods with purple streaks, kind of a tie dye effect. "Beloved in children's gardens, tender and superbly delicious." I'M SOLD. Two: Butterfly Weed Milkweed: "essential to the survival of monarch butterflies, "brilliant orange and yellow flowers showy in massed plantings." Maybe not crazy but definitely responsible. Number THREE: Save water. My two rain barrels are emptied for the winter but can I find room for a third? Maybe some drip irritation? Possibly more native plants that are generally drought tolerant? Lots to ponder. Number FOUR: March through the garden daily and record what is happening. Well, march daily and record at least weekly. Scout for pests, pull weeds, note successes, mourn failures. Record information in the spiral notebook for future contemplation. Number FIVE: Thrift, buy, make, or borrow a showstopper for the garden, something that makes a visitor stop and smile, laugh, cry, something to make it more memorable and personal. A decorative container, a statue, a flag, a fountain, a trellis…I'm not sure what, but I'll know it when I see it. The fun may be in the hunt. The tie dye yellow with purple streaks Dragon Tongue beans may be a start. Number SIX: Plant more pollinators. We all must do our part. Number SEVEN: Visit Hidden Pines Christmas Tree Farm in Clyde on Limerick Road across from the high school around next Thanksgiving. Our Erie Master Gardeners were treated to a tour this past Veteran's Day. Owner Alan Binger showed us the trees that customers can tag for cutting or purchase already cut. We learned the history of the farm and got tips on care of our own cut trees and greenery. It was fun and educational traipsing through the fields and looking at the trees in various stages of growth and learning about their care. The location also includes a Christmas store with fresh wreaths and swags and other holiday gifts. My timing this year has been unfortunate for a return trip in that they close for the year on December 20 This resolution should help me remember to not wait to the last minute and plan better next year. Numbers EIGHT, NINE, AND TEN; Top ten resolutions seemed to be a reasonable goal but I have run out. "Exercise more, eat healthier and lose weight" are creeping back. That is ok. Happy New Year!