I spend a lot of time staring into space this time of year. I may look as if I have nothing on my mind, but on the contrary, I am visualizing how to make each portion of my garden more sustainable, less labor intensive, more drought tolerant, more naturally beautiful.
As a passionate gardener, I normally make resolutions that pertain to planting, like:
- I will plant bulbs before they sprout.
- I will not buy more plants than I can plant in the coming week.
- I will not lift bags weighing more than 40 pounds, etc.
This year, however, I’m making my gardening resolutions relative to my ever-increasing interest in a more self-sustainable lifestyle, thus I’ve created resolutions for a more sustainable garden. We’ve made some moderate changes over the past few years to lessen our impact on the earth. We grow much of our own fruits and vegetables. I can in glass jars, and freeze much of what we cannot immediately use or give away. This year, I made zucchini pickles and relish, applesauce, apple butter, and froze apples, berries, and tomatoes for later use.
The eggs that our six hens supply, and their fertilizer for our compost bins have contributed to our feeling of a more sustainable lifestyle. No kitchen scrap goes to waste. What the chickens don’t eat, the worms in my worm bins process into “black gold”.
In order to achieve a more sustainable life style in 2010 I have resolved to do the following:
- I will replace my “cottage garden” plants with “drought tolerant” plants.
- I will use my vegetable beds year-round by practicing successive plantings of lettuce, arugula, and winter greens, and experiment with cool season vegetables.
- I will use potted plants for seasonal color rather than planting entire beds with labor intensive plants.
- I will compost all yard clippings except those with diseases.
- I will experiment with composting materials such as cardboard and newspaper.
- With every planting, I will improve soil with composted materials in every hole.
So here’s wishing you and yours an abundant, sustainable lifestyle in 2010!
