The gift of gardening is the chance to do better next year

Lifelong activities tend to have one thing in common: you never stop learning. Certainly gardening falls into that category, but perhaps even more important, it’s an activity that encourages us to constantly improve.

And there’s no better time to reflect on what you can do differently in your garden than the depths of winter, when there’s still time to figure out how to make it happen.

One resolution that is evergreen is to continue improving the soil. I took this even more seriously over the past year, bringing in several yards of finished compost to top dress many of the garden beds. The difference in these areas is even more remarkable than I expected, with clear signs of more vigorous and healthy plants. 

I don’t know if I’ll commit the time and budget to topdressing with compost every year, but I think it should be at least a biannual investment in my garden.

I have also recognized that I am prone to taking on too much in the garden to the overall detriment of the space. This holds true for both the garden as a whole and on a smaller scale, such as growing plants from seed. My love for trying new-to-me plants with little thought as to where I will grow them makes me prone to starting too many seeds, and it’s hard to care for all of them properly. 

This year’s goal, both for seeds and the garden in general, is to focus on growing fewer plants well rather than growing a lot of plants not as well. This means setting and keeping a schedule for watering new plants, even though that means fewer new plants coming into the garden.

As important as it is to aim to correct past mistakes, I think it’s important to allow ourselves some grace in the garden. I’ve resolved to grow better vegetables more times than I have resolved to join a gym, and I’ve been equally unsuccessful in both pursuits. Instead of beating myself up for a less-than-stellar vegetable garden, I’ve learned to acknowledge that garden success or failure is often out of our hands as weather, time constraints and unforeseen challenges intervene. It’s OK to be content with a garden that is good enough.

Most gardeners noticed that plant prices have been inching higher, and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue. A wallet-friendly garden goal for the year would be to improve your propagation skills to make the most of the plants you and your friends already have. Division, which is perhaps the easiest propagation method for perennials, often is better for the health of existing plants, not to mention the “free” plants it produces, but taking root and stem cuttings is another skill that can help the bottom line.

Gardeners are fortunate that their hobby provides lifelong learning, which means a chance to get it right every year.