Plant a greater variety of annuals
I've been buying the same 4 packets of annuals from the grocery store every February for years. Orange/red marigolds and three types of zinnias.
I'm really bored of them and by the time late summer rolls around, I always regret not having a better variety of annuals to compliment the perennials. But they can be expensive if I buy them from my local nursery (and probably treated with some sort of chemical). So I'm going to grow my own and branch out from the old standbys. If it works out, I'll be able to fill in the gaps in my perennial beds and have enough to fill up pots for my front porch and back patio. Now, the only thing I need to do is to figure out which flowers I want.
Don't be so damn cheap
I have a hard time not being super frugal. This is partially why I don't buy a lot of annuals (see above) when spending some damn money would make my garden look nicer. I have no problem spending on perennials but seem to have a block when it comes to annuals, furniture, accessories, etc. So in the interest of stimulating the economy and making the garden look nicer, I'm going to try to get rid of the internal struggle that tells me not to buy and just do it.
Make inspiration a reality
I have hundreds of photos of gardens I've visited that have inspired me, whether it was the stone of a pathway or a striking flower combination. I'd like to revisit those pictures and figure out how I can make some of those inspirations work for me in my own garden. It'll take some money (see above) and planning, but I do love a good Excel spreadsheet. I think I have to remember that I can get overwhelmed so I only need to pick out one or two ideas for now. I'm already mentally arranging my embarrassing back patio, and have decided to enlist some professional design help for the front yard.
Do you make resolutions, goals, or lists of things to do in the new year? What's on that list for the upcoming gardening season?
Every summer I create a Word doc list to remind me of what I need to do in the fall and every time I finish something, I delete it. It feels good to see the list, which can often be 5-6 pages long, shrink down to almost nothing. As for seeds, I'm growing loads of annuals this year. Check out my So Seedy page on my blog for the list of what I'm growing. You should try winter sowing. It's easy and super cheap!
ReplyDeleteI've had your So Seedy page open in a tab for a couple of days - it's great inspiration!
DeleteYay!! I have a few seed cups under lights already and am starting my winter sowing this weekend. It's the cheapest, easiest way to grow a lot of plants. I've had lots of success with all types of rudbeckia, malva 'Zebrina', linaria (spring annual), helianthus, parsley, tomatoes, and ammi majus. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. I've heard pink coneflowers are super easy to WS, too.
DeleteI stopped making resolutions, goals, and lists for the new year but I do have a couple of thoughts about what I'd like to improve in my garden and in myself. Somehow the disappointment is easier to take when I don't write things down.
ReplyDeleteI wish you well accomplishing the improvements you'd like to make!
DeleteI had great luck sowing seeds last year :) I did a mix of annuals and also some perennial foxgloves. Buy a little dome or two at the hardware store, they're worth it, and re-usable! My advice is pick a few different flowers, and don't be disappointed if some of them don't take. My mom had given me her old Park Seed book, and you'd be surprised how different the germination conditions are for some seeds. Do a quick search on what you get, and you'll be off to a much better start! I made myself a little excel sheet that helped me know when to sow the different seeds, and any special instructions - it really helped!
ReplyDeleteWhat worked well for me (Chattanooga TN, Zone 7): Strawberry foxglove, purple zinnia, green envy zinnia, mixed zinnia, mixed columbine. My malva, 'zebrina' failed miserably. The columbine spent some time in the refrigerator, who knew!
I'd love if perennial foxgloves worked for me - you're lucky! And thanks for the reminder about the green zinnia. I always love it in catalogs and would love to have it in my garden.
DeleteHopefully they'll bloom this year :) They look happy (even as it's gotten colder), and time will tell if they are truly perennial! Enjoy the green zinnia.
DeleteHappy Gardening.
Actually one of the things I'd like to do in 2015 is spend less money on annuals. Usually I plant 80 or so mixed containers plus everything that goes in the ground and I don't grow anything from seed. But they do extend the garden well into fall right up to the first hard frost. We'll see...
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of you and your fantastic pots when I thought of planting more annuals. I'd think you can plant, say, 60 containers and it'd still look amazing!
DeleteI keep a word document on my laptop where I list tasks but also longer term goals. I check it and revise regularly. Don't give up entirely on marigolds and zinnias. There are many more choices out there, but they are still good plants.
ReplyDelete