MY GARDEN RESOLUTIONS

Should last year's garden be forgot and never brought to mind . . .

Now that would be a sad state of affairs indeed. As for me, I'll toast the blooms of yesterday and pamper my orchids and plan this year's beds and heed this quote from Vita Sackville-West:

"The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing better than they have done before."

And so, here -- in no order of priority -- are my garden resolutions for 2010:

Buy plant labels and use them

Plant more hellebores

Create a "rain garden" in my backyard

Replace the Daphne Carol Mackie I lost years ago and still miss

Repot my orchids

Design a tree and shrub border that includes callicarpa and a Stewartia

Use sunblock religiously

Start vegetable seeds on time

Take more photographs

Build a cold frame for year-round veggies

Set up a rain barrel

Organize my garden tools

Keep up with my garden blog

Plant more alliums

Find the perfect climbing rose for my arbors

Be more conscientious about storing my dahlias

Transform my back-40 into a native plant habitat

Turn my mailbox area into a xeriscape

Weed out the clutter -- in and out of the garden

Stop and smell the roses -- the lilies too

Of course, what's really important is how many of these things I actually accomplish. But I'm a realist -- I make no promises. I'll do the best I can. It's fun just making the list.

I'm sure you have your own resolutions. I'd love to hear them.