Make Spring Garden Resolutions

OK, the New Year is almost three months old and I am sure your best laid plans for losing this and changing that may have been sidetracked by now.
You could blame the weather which has us all confused or just resign that you are making the wrong resolutions to begin with (I did!).
With this in mind, do a paradigm shift and focus instead on your garden and see how quickly small changes to your own yard can affect your daily routine and reward you with unconditional returns. Here is a list to help make this so!
1. To improve my life by what I surround myself with.
2. To spend time with my closest companions in the great outdoors.
3. To include more physical work in my day.
4. To create a special area in my yard for contemplation and getaway.
5. To research, question and understand the things I plan in my garden first.
6. To include in my garden, plants and bounty that I can harvest and share.
7. To plant native species when possible.
8. To resist Big Box stores and return to the garden centers that actually can help you with these ideas.
9. To take that daily walk or exercise period in your new garden stroll path, if your yard is small, do laps!
10. To include in my garden new colorful pots (shameless plug) and something whimsical.
11. To pitch in and help at one of the non-profits who also have gardens such as (CMBO, The Nature Center of Cape May, The CMC Historical Museum, Animal shelters, Community Center for the Arts to name a few).
This really is an easy resolution guarantee you will feel better about yourself when you help your environment, your community and yourself and check the scale again in a few weeks, you could be surprised!
—Stan Sperlak, painter, teacher, author and nurseryman writes from Goshen, NJ and operates Cape Shore Gardens with its’ tireless staff off 20 dedicated gardeners! Visit them at 1028 Rt 9 S CMCH. Call 609-465-5161 or www.capeshoregardens .com or Face-book us!