What has made my New Year’s resolutions so spectacularly unsuccessful, I believe, is that they’ve all been phrased in the negative and are things I don’t really want to do. But this year’s are positive, achievable and appealing.
I will choose plants that are suitable for the environment – an opportunity to revel in a Mediterranean style such as this.
1) I resolve to think very carefully about any new landscaping project from every possible angle before ordering the digger/getting out the spade/choosing the paint colour. It’s easy to make mistakes in the garden, and while most are simply fixed (pull out that hideous lancewood and plant a flowering viburnum) those that involve construction often aren’t.
2) No matter how desperate I am to create new areas of planting, I will only plant out what I have the time and energy to water, and I will choose plants that are suitable for the environment so I don’t have to scurry around the garden for hours every day, dragging a disobedient hose and wondering if weight-loss may be the only bright side to this activity.
3) Until we can afford a really comprehensive irrigation system, I will buy new hoses and place them at strategic points around the property so I don’t have to keep moving the only two we seem to have. I will disbelieve any advertising for a hose that purports to be kink-resistant, unless it costs more than $70. I’ve learned that cheap hoses are only kink free when they’ve been lying in the hot sun for a couple of days before you use them.
A little motivation and organisation is all it takes to make new plants for free.
4) Because I’m a plant cheapskate, I will continue to buy cheap, stressed plants from the specials bin, but I will compost, fertilise, mulch, water, sing to and stroke them until they find their feet. It can take one, or even two, seasons but I will not pull them out unless they are really and truly dead.
5) I will start a garden diary and write down what needs to be done when, and keep a note of when plants have been fertilised, with what, and what they are. It’s important to be able to indentify plants so you’ll know how large they grow and what they need. It’s also useful in case you suddenly decide you can’t live without another one of those… those… what is that thing again?
6) I will plant more varieties specifically to attract bees, birds and other beneficial wildlife. My bee-attraction planting programme (lavender, borage, rosemary, sage, thyme, catmint) has been hugely successful so far and I feel a thrill of pride every time I get stung. Yes, really.
7) I will take better care of my garden tools. I like having really good quality garden tools and I’m aware that they’ll last for ages if they’re properly maintained. It’s not difficult – don’t leave them wet, keep them sharp and oil them now and then.
8) I will propagate with a passion. Free plants are irresistible and in our climate they grow in a flash. There’s heaps of information available on how to do it, so why would you not?
9) I will walk around the garden every day and tell myself how beautiful it is – and most importantly ignore all the things that need doing.
The pay-off for looking after tools is that they’re always sharp enough to get the job done.
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