January is the perfect time to reflect, plan, and set realistic gardening goals for the year ahead. By documenting your choices and planning thoughtfully, you can turn your garden vision into a more organized, achievable reality.
January can be a dismal month for the gardener. Days get dark too early, and you can’t go out and get your hands dirty without getting frost bite. But spring is just around the corner (I’d like to think so anyway). And with the New Year beginning, you can plan for a new start. This is the time to make your New Year’s gardening resolutions.
In making these resolutions think back on what you would do differently. What worked well that you wish to continue in 2025? And what improvement would you like to make? It seems my great visions don’t always stack up. I wanted it to look like this – but it looks like this. Now is the time to think about the reasons why? Do I need to amend the soil? Is the plant in the right place? Does that plant enhance the garden or diminish it? Is it getting too much sun, or not enough? What will I do to create that great vision that seems to exist only in my mind?
My number one resolution this year is to keep better documentation of what I plan to do. I tend to be compulsive. If I go to the garden store and see something I like, I take it home and find a spot for it.
This year I resolve to plan ahead and force myself to stick to my plan. What plant
will really be the right one to enhance my garden? What month will it bloom and for how long? How tall is it? How does it spread (width)? Will that plant thrive in that particular spot, or will I have to spend way too much time caring for it?
I resolve to record what I purchase and where I put it. I will label my plants with the date of planting. I will take pictures and keep a garden journal to record my garden’s progress over the growing season. What does my garden look like in May, June, etc.? What do I want it to look like and what can I do to create my ideal vision?
I resolve to make this plan in January. I will not bite off more than I can chew! I will do my research; I will look through magazines and books with a thoughtful mind. I tend to see a beautiful garden and think “I can do that. I want that.” But I am just one person and maybe I can’t do that on such a large scale– but maybe on a smaller scale. I will be reasonable and practical.
Can I afford that beautiful garden with the abundance of plants? Can I care for that beautiful garden? I will be thoughtful with my plans. I resolve to make a fresh start this coming year and really create that vision that I see in my mind.
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