As noted on Page 2, planning is essential as the prelude to a beautiful landscape. With wintery weather all around us and autumn a still-recent memory, January is a good month for planning a landscape that will have four-season interest.
Resolution 5: I will grow some plants that will enhance my fall landscape design.
One of the problems with waiting till spring to think about ways to inject color into the landscape is that winter is now behind us, and, with tunnel vision, we can think only of the warm seasons just ahead. Our tendency is often to focus on spring and summer, at the expense of achieving a yard with four-season interest. Fall seems so far off; besides, we immediately think of large fall foliage trees such as sugar maples when we think of the fall landscape. We are daunted by the number of years it would take for such trees to reach maturity -- and we end up not planting anything at all geared to fall. But fortunately, other options exist for injecting fall color into the landscaping of your yard. There are many colorful shrubs and vines from which to choose, and extending the flower garden into fall can be economical if you're a smart shopper.
Resolution 6: I will provide maximum visual interest for the winter season.
When most people think of landscaping, they think of plants -- and the winter season just isn't the stage on which most plants strut their best stuff. Evergreen trees and shrubs can look terrific against a backdrop of snow; but many plants either lose their leaves in the winter season, die back altogether, or else get covered under a blanket of snow.
But landscaping for the winter season means more than just having evergreen trees and shrubs. For instance, some shrubs, although deciduous, nonetheless offer an interesting branching structure or display colorful berries. Hardscape features such as pergolas and garden arbors can make your landscaping for the winter season more interesting, providing your landscape with a strong backbone that won't tremble in the face of falling snow or bone-chilling gusts. And growing interesting plants that attract colorful wild birds will bring cheer, as well as nice winter scenery, to the coldest of days. But all of this requires planning. Why not curl up by the fireside this winter season and plan out ways to enhance your landscape for the next winter season?
The next three New Year's resolutions for landscaping continue the theme of planning, but also share another theme: making difficult choices.
Resolution 7: I will stop complaining about watering and do something to reduce water usage.
Watering landscapes can be time-consuming for those who lack lawn irrigation systems. And no matter how advanced an irrigation system you may own, water usage is still an issue. What if there's a drought next summer? Will your town even allow you to water the lawn? The cost of water can also be a problem. Is there a solution? You bet; it's called xeriscaping. For those who love lawns, a xeriscaping project can involve making a difficult choice: namely, whether or not to cut back on the amount of the landscape covered by grass.
Resolution 8: I will stop complaining about mowing the lawn and do something to reduce lawn care needs.
Reducing the extent of lawn grass is an issue that pertains to more than just water usage. For instance, if you're the type who insists on having a lawn that's nothing less than perfect (always just the right height, no weeds, etc.), consider reducing the extent of your lawn in order to reduce time spent on maintenance. If you live in the country, you may even wish to consider radical alternatives to grass lawns, such as clover lawns. Of course, yard maintenance goes beyond lawn care, and there are many other tips for low-maintenance landscaping to consider.
Resolution 9: I will stop complaining about garden pests and take preventive measures against them.
One way to prevent plant damage caused by deer pests and rodents is to take the path of least resistance and simply grow plants that pests generally don't find appetizing!
Of course, this can mean making difficult choices: perhaps the very specimen plant over which you've been drooling for years is #1 on Bambi's menu. Or perhaps you'd like to plant some "cover" that will attract wildlife during the winter season, but you're afraid that those same plants will also serve as cover for garden pests once the winter season has yielded to spring. In such cases, you'll either have to make some difficult choices or else simply familiarize yourself with the wide array of strategies for garden pest control.
Last but not least, I present resolution #10 on Page 4. It may be the most important resolution -- and, perhaps, the easiest one to keep....
