2013 New Year Resolutions in the Garden

Camellia 'High Fragrance'

 Some years I post New Year's Resolutions. 

This year I am making resolutions for my new garden. On a 104 degree F. day in July 2011 we moved to our new home and blank-slate-garden in Atlanta. Next came 3 months of bush-hogging, English ivy-ripping and path-designing, and then the parade of planting began. This means that nothing in my garden has been planted there for more than 18 months, the compost bin is new, and I am propagating large quantities of things such as hellebores, parsley and foxgloves to fill in. Most of my woody ornamentals are knee-high, except for a number of native azaleas I brought from the old garden in large tubs.  .  

In 2013 I resolve to finish my first compost from the new compost bin, use it on the plants, and start again.

I plan to extravagantly sow about 2 decades of carefully hoarded, alphabetized, left-over seed and USE THEM UP. 

This year I intend to install a cold frame, soil heating mat, temperature controller and automatic sash openers to promote better rooting. 

Each fall my goal is to plant 1,000 (or more) spring flowering bulbs, including some I have never tried before. For the last 2 years I have succeeded in this goal. 

Moonlight Blue seeds
 from Jelittto

 I hope to start another 10 dozen hellebores, 10 dozen parsley and 10 dozen (this year trying Apricot) foxgloves in order to plant them out in my pine woodland this coming fall. Likewise, I have ordered seed for big blue NZ delphiniums $$$$ and hope to do the same with those (treating them as cool season biennials in Hotlanta). Fingers crossed that that last idea works!  

 I plan to keep planting particularly large-flowered camellias. 

 I resolve to concentrate on fragrant plants. 

 I plan to take millions of cuttings of my pink and my yellow daisy mums now that there are enough to share. 

I am increasing my use of biological inoculants to promote healthy growth through mycorrhizal fungus and beneficial bacteria in association with plant roots. 

I hope to grow Armenian, Syrian and pickling cucumbers this year. 

Asian Persimmons on
\dwarf tree

 I resolve to try a couple of dwarf Asian Persimmons (Ichi by Stark Brothers). 

I resolve to keep a garden journal again to help with year-to-year comparisons, and thus have ordered a 5-year hardbound book to use. 

And I resolve to get at least one little child gardening. What are your resolutions?