Gardening New Year's Resolutions?

Christmas is past, a New Year is looming - what does this mean for your garden plants and design?

Well the new year is arriving and I've barely survived the last year - but here I am gamely trying to create some "goals" for my garden.

My gardening New Year's resolutions include:

~ I will only buy healthy plants. No matter how much those discounted half-dead piles of wilty leaves need "rescuing".

~ I will finally decide on a theme for my front garden perennial border. That way I can actually begin planting the plants instead of drooling over all of them and never making an actual decision.

~ I will get my children more involved in the garden. This means more planting, weeding and cultivating - less mud pies and dirt throwing. Hmm....on second thought, mud pies are fun.

~ I will stay ahead of the weeds this year. I will. I promise.

~ I will put all my tools away as soon as I'm done with them. If I haven't lost them in the weeds that is. Either way they are out of sight though so that should count, right?

~ I will grow enough vegetables to preserve extras. And I will actually take the time to can them. Right after I'm done weeding.

All joking aside, it is helpful for me to take serious stock of what happened in the garden last year and what can be improved this year. The vegetable garden will be expanded and plant materials ordered from reputable plant companies that are known to send healthy plants.

What are some of your goals for the garden this year?