A new year is a good time to make some resolutions for a lovelier, more beneficial and more enjoyable garden. “If you commit to doing just a few things a little better each season, your garden and your gardening will become more satisfying every year,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
Here are some suggestions from the Plant Clinic for gardening resolutions.
Resolve to think ahead. Instead of waiting until flowers show up in home centers to think about the garden, begin planning now. You’ll have time to research the right plants, set a budget, make sure you have enough space, and consider who will water the vegetables when you take that vacation you’re scheduling.
Resolve to measure and assess your space. “Basing your planting decisions on real information instead of guesses will save you lots of money and lots of work,” Yiesla said. Get a 25- or 100-foot tape measure and use it to accurately measure all dimensions of your yard. Draw a rough plan and mark the measurements on it. Include not only garden beds, but the house, the driveway, the sidewalk, the lawn and the shed. While you’re at it, mark down the area shaded by the branches of your trees, the locations of your outdoor faucets and window wells, and the direction the sun comes from. “A plan doesn’t have to be pretty, but it needs to include all the relevant information,” she said. Another good idea: Take a comprehensive set of photos of your garden to refer to when you are shopping for plants, for reference or to show to garden center staff when you shop for plants.
Resolve to start keeping records. You can do it with a notebook, a digital document or folder, or photos on your phone, but keeping track of each gardening season in a form that you can refer to later can super-charge your gardening. “You’ll be able to remember what you planted when, what worked and what didn’t, what was beautiful and what was a disappointment,” Yiesla said. “You’ll know which vegetable varieties to buy again next year and which to give up on.” Take photos of plant labels, receipts, the signs of good nurseries, inspirational gardens you visit, and problems that show up on your plants, as well as muddy messes, bare spots and other garden improvement opportunities.
Resolve to make a compost pile. Think of trimmings, clippings, weeds and fallen leaves as a soil amendment-to-be. Create a place where they can partially decay into useful, nutritious compost. “You can use a bin or a simple pile,” Yiesla said. See mortonarb.org/composting to learn more.
Resolve to research plants before you buy. “You will have far fewer disappointments if you choose plants knowledgeably,” she said. That means checking each variety’s needs for space, sun, soil type, and water against the conditions in your garden. “Know when a plant should be blooming, and be suspicious if it’s in flower too early in the garden center,” she said. “Before you buy any tree or shrub, read the label and investigate the full, mature size the species or variety will grow to be. If it is likely to outgrow your space in 10 years, don’t buy it.”
Resolve to cool your jets. “Don’t rush to spray plants with insecticides or herbicides until you make sure it’s truly needed,” Yiesla said. “First, identify the problem, and then get help to decide whether any treatment is necessary and what it should be.” Unnecessary pesticides are costly and often futile, and hey may kill beneficial insects and plants. The Plant Clinic (mortonarb.org/plant-clinic) can help you identify the cause of any garden problems and decide on a course of action.
Resolve to pay attention. “Our climate is becoming more volatile, unpredictable and prone to extremes,” Yiesla said. “Our plants are trying to cope, but sometimes they can’t.” Pay regular attention to 10-day weather forecasts and to the way your plants are growing through the season, so you water them as needed and give them other help they need.
Resolve to mow later and higher. The cool-season grasses in our lawns really don’t grow much before May, so there’s no rush to mow. “Letting the grass grow in and get full before you start mowing will help it outcompete weeds and get a healthy start,” Yiesla said. Grass will be healthier if it is taller because it
has more leaf surface to collect the sun’s energy. It will need less fertilizer and will better resist drought so it needs less watering. “Raise your mower’s blade as high as it will go,” she said. “Three to 4 inches is not too tall.”
Resolve to add some native plants. “They give food and shelter to native animals,” Yiesla said. “Adding native plants to our gardens helps support biodiversity.” That doesn’t mean you have to give up beloved non-native plants such as roses, but including more native species of perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees will enrich the habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife throughout the region.
For tree and plant advice, see the online resources of The Morton Arboretum at mortonarb.org/plant-care, or submit your questions online at mortonarb.org/plant-clinic or by email to plantclinic@mortonarb.org. Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Arboretum.
