With the new year upon us, it is time once again to think about the changes we want to see in our personal lives. Will 2024 be the year that you finally lose some weight, manage your money better or read more books? If you are a gardener, too, you should make resolutions that actually can be kept, perhaps ones that are good for your garden and for the world beyond.
Here are five that I recommend.
1. Right plant, right place. We have likely all had our heads turned by some pretty plant at the garden center, so cute that you couldn’t resist an impulse purchase. But going forward, take a moment to ask yourself a few questions: How big does it get, and do I have enough room? How much light does it need? Will it be easy to water? Does it do well in our climate?
In this age of information at your fingertips, do some homework before you make a purchase you might regret.
2. Say no to systemic insecticides. As you may have heard, the population numbers for insect species have been plummeting in recent decades. You might ask if this is a bad thing, and indeed it is. Insects are a key building block in the ecosystem, providing food for many other species. Certain insects also are critical for pollinating our food crops. But systemic insecticides are indiscriminate: They can kill any insect, friend or foe, that happens to feed on the treated plant. These insecticides’ ease of use — just sprinkle them on and forget it — comes at a cost.
3. Plant more natives. Choosing native plants for your garden is good for a number of reasons. Since they evolved together, our native plants and native insects, birds and other creatures benefit one another, with one group providing food and shelter and the other providing pollination services and dispersing the species. Native plants are also well adapted to our climate in a way that many nonnative plants are not. Last, native plants are beautiful.
4. Think “more garden, less turf.” Though many of us love a well-tended lawn, it can take a lot of resources to maintain — water, fertilizers, pesticide, fuel for our mowers. Traditional turf also is a desert for most animal species. Adding bed space to your garden will create opportunities to grow plants that may provide wildlife food and habitat. Increased bed space could be used for growing your own food, too. Also, garden beds typically take fewer resources than turf, especially if you are following Resolution 1 (right plant, right place).
5. Embrace the chaos. For too long the aesthetic for a “good” garden has been clean beds full of neatly clipped evergreens, with maybe the occasional flower thrown in. You can thank King Louis XIV and the gardeners at Versailles for that. But these gardens are sterile, offering little benefit to wildlife.
So plant a diversity of plants, a mix of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and ground covers. This will turn your garden into an oasis for the local fauna, including beneficial insects who help balance the bad ones, making it easier for you to follow Resolution 2 (skip the systemic insecticides).
Also, don’t be so quick to keep it perfectly clean, especially in the colder months. Fallen leaves and bare stalks provide shelter for overwintering organisms, and many spent seed heads provide food for birds. Save your cleanup for warmer weather in spring.
Wild Green Yonder is a recurring monthly feature from the staff of the Norfolk Botanical Garden, where Les Parks is director of horticulture. If you have any questions, please send them to askaplantquestion@nbgs.org.
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