Read on these logical Gardening Resolutions for the New Year that will guide you to have a beautiful landscape in all seasons for 2024!
Follow these Gardening Resolutions for New Year to have a head start in the right direction towards gardening for 2024 and keep your yard and plants thriving in the coming months!
Have a look at the best types of Indoor plants to grow here
Gardening Resolutions for New Year
1. Go Organic
Go organic this year to have a safe food source for pollinators and have no side effects on your own health, too.
Use copper rings around plants for repelling slugs. Fix a fine metal gauze over fruits or vegetable crops to deter birds, caterpillars, and flies instead of pesticides.
Switch to neem oil in place of chemical pesticide sprays. Neem oil is biodegradable and non-toxic to fish, birds, and other wildlife.
2. Save Natural Resources by Collecting Rainwater
Improve the health of your garden plants by collecting rainwater—join a rainwater butt to a downpipe for storing the rain. Use this to water your garden in spring.
The pH of rainwater is more appropriate for plants compared to tap water, mainly if you are living in a region with hard water. It is also free of calcium.
3. Reduce Plastic Use
The majority of gardening things turn out in landfills, where plastic containers take 500-600 years to decompose. You can go plastic-free by trying these options:
- Swap plastic plant labels with slate or bamboo or just recycle lollipop sticks.
- Purchase biodegradable containers that are made up of bamboo, coir, or seaweed.
- Instead of using plastic strings, use natural hemp or jute and save your veggies and fruits with metal mesh as an alternative to plastic netting.
4. Lessen Lawn Space
Lawns require high maintenance and need two to three times more water than a landscape with wildlife and native plants. Modifying part of your lawn with potted perennials and shrubs will reduce time with lawnmowers, re-seeding, fertilizing, and watering.
5. Promote Wildlife
Song thrushes, sparrows, and hedgehogs can be invited to your garden by providing them with food and shelter. Boosting biodiversity is an easy task that increases the beauty of your garden. Follow these simple ways for this project;
- Compost, woodpiles, and trimmings can be used as a spot for bumblebees, slow worms, and small animals for the shelter.
- Fill the borders with shrubs and flowering plants as it will supply food for bees and butterflies. Also, it will provide a home to birds and small mammals.
- Include water features like a small pond for creating surroundings for frogs and amphibians to garden birds.
- Climbing plants on walls or fences create roosting spots for birds. You can select plants like honeysuckle for this purpose.
- Install a bat house as their population is decreasing these days. A shelter will give them a place to give birth and raise the young. Bats are beneficial as they eat up to 1200 mosquitoes per hour and their poop (guano) is also the best fertilizer for your garden.
5 Ways to Encourage Wildlife into your Garden
6. Start Composting
Prioritize composting in the new year resolution list, as it promotes the natural recycling of nutrients and becomes a shelter for wildlife in the winter months. Do not use plastic compost bins, and select an economical FSC-certified wooden compost box.
7. Make a Comfy Spot
Gardening has a positive impact on the mind and health. Designing a garden with a peaceful and therapeutic space will benefit the entire season. For this purpose keep in mind the following points:
- Sustainability: Make your own compost, grow veggies, and try small DIY projects like a birdhouse or water feature. You will experience a more satisfactory feeling by doing this.
- Seating: Install a bench on your favorite spot in the garden for sitting and relaxing in the lap of nature.
- Sensory Stimulation: Hang a wind chime or include a water feature for a soothing background sound. Grow fragrant plants near your sitting area in the garden. Magnolia, hyacinth, wisteria, and sweet peas all spread amazing fragrances. You can see many more names here!
8. Work from the Garden
Continue your work-from-home job in 2024 from the office in a shed or ‘shoffice’—it will give you a peaceful working environment. It comes in various sizes and shapes, from custom-made garden rooms to wooden summerhouses.
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9. Be Peat Free
Peat mining releases carbon into the atmosphere, spoils wildlife and the local ecosystem, and has an adverse effect on the environment. Peat-free options that can be opted for are coconut coir, wood fiber, bark, and wool. You can check the label for peat-free or buy online.
10. Make Weeding a Routine
Weeds suck essential nutrients and light from the plant quickly. Frequent weeding around plants can control weed growth. Give 10 minutes to this before doing any other gardening chores, and soon you will see the difference!
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11. Include Native Plants in Your Garden
Whether trees, shrubs, or flowers, natives adjust comfortably to your environment. They are easy to grow and have fewer demands for fertilizer and water. Native plants also help to provide shelter to local bird species, pollinators, and other beneficial insects.
12. Grow More Food
This new year, make a resolution to grow your own food in the garden. You don’t need to have a big yard to do it as there are many vegetables and fruits you can grow in pots. You can also grow herbs as well! As commercial food is less flavorful and chemically treated, it is an excellent idea!
13. Make the Most of Your Outdoor Space
2024 is the year to plan and organize your outdoor space the right way! You should start by identifying the sunny and shady areas, and plan what plants you’re gonna fill these spaces with. You should also maximize vertical space with hanging planters or trellises, creating a garden that’s not just pretty but also practical.
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14. Add Function to the Beauty
Time to combine beauty with purpose in your garden. You should pick a few elements like raised beds or vertical walls. You’ll easily grow both veggies and ornamentals together. This way, your garden will become the perfect combination of visuals and veggies.
15. Create a Private Garden
With a couple of strategically planted trees and a cozy sitting space, you, too can create a private garden. You should pick a few varieties that grow tall and dense – conifers, bamboo, and bay trees. Just plant them along the borders and add a patio to the garden.
16. Add Native Plants
You should do your bit and support the local biodiversity by adding native plants to your garden. These native plants are adapted to your region and will flourish – requiring minimal maintenance and providing essential resources for local wildlife.
17. Support the Pollinators
Why miss out on the beautiful pollinators that help you multiply your favorite plants? You should add flowers that attract hummingbirds and bees like cannas, columbines, bee balm, hollyhocks, and more. You can also bring other little wildlife by adding a bird bath or a frog house.
18. Time to Pick Natural Pest Control
Why not go with natural pest control while you’re going organic? You should ditch chemicals entirely this year – choose natural methods to control pests instead. You should introduce ladybugs to devour aphids or use neem oil for a gentle yet effective approach. Your garden will thrive without compromising health.
40 Best Organic Pest Control Approaches Every Gardener Should Know
19. Attend Gardening Workshops
You should search the web for gardening workshops you can attend. Just check local community centers, gardening clubs, and social media handles for opportunities. Learning from others and sharing experiences makes gardening a lovely activity. And if there’s no workshop in town, you can organize one yourself!
20. Share Your Garden and Gift Plants
You can spread the joy of gardening by hosting events, gifting seedlings, and donating surplus produce. You can also organize a garden tour for friends and neighbors, or contribute to local community programs. You’ll make new friends and may also get lovely plants in exchange.
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21. Make Gardening a Self-Care Routine
Gardening is more than just a hobby for some, you can do it for self-care too! Treat it as a therapeutic escape and allow yourself to unwind while tending to your plants. Connecting with nature in this way will fill you with joy and ensure mental well-being.
22. Change Your Garden with the Seasons
You should create rotating seasonal-themed sections in your garden to keep it visually dynamic throughout the year. You can research and plan specific plantings and decorations that resonate with each season. It will make sure your garden blooms throughout the year for both you and your visitors.
23. Add Artistic Garden Sculptures
An amazing New Year resolution for gardeners who love art is adding garden sculptures. These could be DIY creations or unique pieces from local artists. The sculptures can serve as focal points, adding an artistic flair to your garden.
