Personal Gardening Resolutions for 2010

It's the time of year for considering New Year's resolutions and for those interested with particular interests this can extend to resolutions for those interests. It's also inclusive of New Year's resolutions for gardening.

Normally these are personal things that aren't shared but as a means of challenging gardening resolutions to action it pays to document these. Be it small things or big ones - or just steps towards goals, gardening resolutions are important to know what you're aiming at.

Increasing personal use of heirloom seeds is one goal for the year with finding, planting and saving seeds from tomato, pepper and popcorn being an interest. This can be done using seeds from the strongest plants to naturally 'breed' and select the best growing and tasting choices.

I also will be making two 2x4 raised beds - making better use of water and an easier time caring for and harvesting plants within the beds.

Make a 4x8 brooder hutch is an indirect gardening resolution. With a solid easy to maintain brooder hutch it allows raising chicks, which provide manure that enriches the poor soil and increases fertility in the raised beds.

This year compost was started in a bin so the next step is to get the compost spread into the growing areas. Kitchen 'waste', leaves and manure combine to make for raised fertility for the garden area.

Spread rabbit manure or compost it monthly is a regular chore that more attention will be paid to. While it's easy for some to say gardeners obsess with manure it's been difficult to find. Having rabbits supplies manure that can be used with light applications fresh or composted, or incorporated into the soil a week or two before planting. These all will be used to get accumulated (stored) manure 'used up'.

This year the memorial bed will need replanted again. The memorial bed was started to honor a friend killed in Iraq - it has since then also honored my mom and a few special dogs that have been lost. The first year wildflowers and sunflowers were used and this will be repeated. Clearing out the persistent weed has been difficult and, for lack of organic control being effective, will resort to chemical control around the side of the bed where the weed enters. This allows the flowers to get a start without getting choked out.

Expand herbs in the herb garden is another interest. These allow food without a lot of fuss as well as, with some flowering.

Making new rosemary & lavender starts from established plants is another goal. Last year I started one of each outside and harvested a good amount of rosemary in 2009. I'd like to start a second bush of each. Also would like to start some more plants from the lilac bushes in front and the rosa rugosa as well. With the possibilities of finding a place in Tennessee I'd like starts from these plants just in case the others don't transplant well. They were planted in memory of my mom so beyond the functional there's sentimental attachment.

Water is normally tough to come by and although it seemed to rain all the time in '09 normally it's a matter of having to water plants. Aside from collecting water I'd like to run a greywater pipe to water plants. This would make better use of water coming from the sinks, for example to water the herbs or memorial flowers.

There are many things that loom to do but these things are leading the gardening list here.