Happy New Year! As we get set to begin a brand new year, The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society wishes you health and happiness, and success in all your endeavors. If you are not already a member of the group, we extend a warm welcome to new members! We meet once a month, the third Wednesday of each month (beginning in February), at SIGN on North Street. Whether you are a seasoned green thumb or just thinking about getting started, you are welcome! You’ll find interesting topics and friendly, enthusiastic gardeners who are happy to “talk shop” with you! Remember, our next meeting is Wednesday, February 18.
I found an interesting article on a website called Mother Nature Network (www.mnn.com) and it was entitled “5 New Year’s Resolutions For Gardeners” by Tom Oder. I thought I’d share them with you; he’s got some great ideas!
1) If you’re not a gardener, become one. You don’t even have to have a yard. Condo and apartment dwellers might be surprised to know how many flowers, herbs and small vegetables they can grow in pots. Non-gardeners might also be surprised to learn that gardening is exercise. Like all exercises, gardening will help you burn calories while helping you reduce stress and unplug. It will also teach you patience — after all, you can’t hurry Mother Nature!
2) Reduce your lawn area. Lawns are high-maintenance money pits. If you replace some of your grass with shrubs, perennials or even vegetables, you’ll spend less time behind the lawn mower and less money on fertilizing, watering during droughts and re-seeding in the spring or fall.
3) Go native. This will really simply your life! Native plants adapt much easier to periods of stressful weather, such as droughts or bitter winter cold snaps, than hybrids or the Asian introductions so often seen in nurseries across America. They also help sustain beneficial insect and bird populations because they attract native pollinators and birds that might not be drawn to non-natives.
4) Start a compost bin. Here, again, you don’t need a yard or large space to create garden compost. Small composters no bigger than a patio grill are available from garden centers or on line. They’ll turn kitchen scraps, leaves or yard waste into what some gardeners call “black gold” — nutrient-rich material for your pots or in-ground plants. Industrious and handy gardeners, of course, can build their own bins using 4x4 posts and heavy gauge wire or slatted boards. Either way, for the eco-conscious they serve the added purpose of reducing the amount of recycle material that otherwise would go to the curb.
5) Add one new sustainable method to your gardening routine. Working in harmony with nature instead of fighting it will improve the health of your soil, the bounty from your garden and minimize negative effects on the environment — as well as cut down on your stress! There are many sustainable practices you can use to increase your gardening enjoyment. One example would be to resolve to eliminate chemical fertilizers. Another would be to install one or more rain barrels to capture rain runoff from the roof.
Some food for thought! Even if we follow just one new idea, it will open our minds to new gardening practices. And with gardening, there is always something new under the sun! From Keith and I, Happy New Year to you! Have a great week!
