GARDENING
Compact vegetable varieties can be tucked into ornamental container gardens if space is an issue. Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com
Make Gardening Your New Year’s Resolution by Melinda Myers The New Year is filled with resolutions that usually involve dieting and exercise. Gardening is a great way to help accomplish these two resolutions, while also improving your mood, reducing blood pressure, maintaining flexibility, burning calories and much more. Resolve to grow your own vegetables and eat healthier in the New Year. Get your family and friends involved in planning ways to include gardening into your lives. Explore ways to incorporate vegetables and herbs into your landscape. Vegetable gardens are not the only option. Tucking vegetables into flowerbeds, mixed borders and container gar-
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dens can expand your planting space. Look for new compact and colorful vegetable varieties that fit nicely into small spaces, planters, and ornamental gardens. Take an inventory of any leftover seeds and make a list of those seeds and any plants you need to purchase. The earlier you order, the more likely you are to obtain the items on your list. Don’t wait to start your year of healthful gardening and eating habits. Start by growing microgreens in January. They are quick, easy and require no special equipment. Plus, recent research found that many contain as much as 25 times more nutrients than the leaves of the full-grown plant.
Organize a seed swap with family and friends in winter. It is a great way to extend your plant budget and experiment with new seeds. Turn old seeds that are no longer viable into artwork with sheets of paper or small pieces of wood, glue, and some creativity. Start vegetable, herb, and flower seeds indoors in late winter through mid spring. Check the seed packet for timing and planting directions. Create a seed starting chart or mark planting dates on your calendar to ensure seeds get planted at the recommended time. Monitor the weather and follow the recommended planting dates for sowing seeds directly in the garden and moving seedlings outdoors. Use home-
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