I suppose a lot of people make New years resolutions.  When I was a kid my family, and Father in particular, were always huge fans of ringing in the New Year with a party, lot's of bubbly and looking back on the year that was and what the family could look forward to in the coming year. We'd openly recite our personal New Years resolutions.

I suppose I overloaded on that little bit of family nostalgia. Since I left home I cannot remember the last time I made a resolution. I always found my goals a little hard to reach. The old saying goes 'The Apple Never Falls Far From the tree' usually rings pretty true, but this apple fell a little outside the branches when it came to keeping New years promises. This year however, twenty years later, I find myself making such a thing.

Yes, a New Years promise... not to myself, but to my garden. How bizarre!

To my own credit, I made it up long enough to ring in 2010. New Years day I woke up earlier than the rest of the house, held open the dining room blinds, and peered outside. Yep... just as I predicted, the garden and lawn were buried in snow. The decorative garden fence boarder just keeping its head above snow before becoming completely engulfed. It was so quiet and cold as I ventured outside to let my dog 'Chewy' out for a run and a piddle. Right then and there, knee deep in a backyard drift and shivering, I looked around and made a New years Resolution to my yard. I didn't even realize it at first that I was making one! Anyway, here is what I promised myself and my backyard paradise...

I promised I would add rain barrels to all my down spouts, not just the one I have currently. I will build another compost bin and recycle as much garden waste as possible. I promised to plant another tree, and made it a resolution to keep a short journal of what worked and what didn't work. Last year I planted way too many bush beans. I'll have to correct that this year. Often time if you keep short notes on success and failures you'll become a better gardener. Finally I promised to spend more time in the backyard with the kids. There can never be too many BBQ's, smores and badminton tournaments.

If you too could meet me even half way on a couple of your own backyard promises, big or small... maybe even start to plant flowers, even if you never have. Twin City neighborhoods will suddenly seem a whole lot brighter. It's never too late to say Happy New Year!