Since January in the Midwest is usually not all that favorable for outdoor activities, we can grab the trowel by the handle and think ahead and backwards. Asking the question, “what didn’t go so well last year?” is a good one to springboard forward, or to borrow from the world of personal finance or fitness, to make new gardening resolutions. The best factors to base the new resolutions on are your preferences in eating or visualizing, your budget, your needs that plants will solve and any new plant or gadget introductions that are available in 2025.
Here’s a few possibilities for 2025:
Look up and around. Gardeners spend so much time looking down at planting beds and veggies that a glance upwards in their and neighboring landscapes will provide new ideas for possible adoption.
When you learn something from your own garden or from a university gardening class, share it with a friend, relative, neighbor or associate. They’ll thank you for it!
Try something fun. Plant blue potatoes or make a “potato couch” from an item rescued at a garage sale.
Cut a bouquet of flowers from your garden and take them to a nursing home or church for a gift. They are sure to put a smile on someone’s face that can’t garden themselves.
Visit a demonstration garden near you to get fresh ideas. See: Teaching Gardens | Nebraska Extension in Douglas-Sarpy Counties | Nebraska for details.
Start composting your kitchen waste and grass clippings. It’s a wonderful activity to teach children about science.
Buy a cool looking patio planter and put a mix of edibles and ornamentals in it. Then, host a patio party and show all of your guests.
Clean out your garden seed storage area. Toss out any packets that are more than 4 years old. If you have more than you will use this year, share them with a friend.
Sharpen and clean garden tools and the lawn mower blade. They work so much better when sharp.
Take notes in your garden journal. Periodic photos are great too.
Get your soil tested, especially if it’s been a few years since it was last done.
Always put on sunscreen and a hat before going out to prune shrubs, pull weeds or mow the lawn.
