A Greener View by Jeff Rugg

With the start of a new year, we get to reflect on the changes we want to make in our lives. Many of us are gardeners because we enjoy the seasonal transformations in the landscape and can make changes to our gardens. Even in the middle of winter, we are thinking about gardening and plan to make changes as we get each new garden catalog in the mail.

One of the ways to make garden changes a fun project is to resolve to keep a photographic journal of your garden. Use your cell phone camera or other digital camera to take pictures of the areas that need adjusting. You can print the pictures at your leisure. Write notes what you plan to do in the garden that goes with the picture in an album. Planning ahead will make all of your gardening tasks easier. The next time you are at the garden center, pull up the pictures on your phone or pull out the mini album. Ask an attendant to help you choose new plants for that spot.

Another fun resolution is learning more about gardening. Resolve to take a gardening class with your local extension office, which is part of your state university. All year long, they offer local classes on many gardening subjects. Another aspect of the learning process is to go and see what others are doing. If you can't plan your vacation around a garden show, at least visit arboretums and gardens near your destination.

Resolve to try new plants in your garden. Don't just replant red geraniums in the flowerpot on the patio. Skip the dracaena spike and asparagus ferns by the front door and try mixing up the flowers in new combinations.

In the vegetable garden, try at least one new vegetable that you have never grown. Not that adventurous? Then try at least one new variety of tomato. You may be surprised at how much the family likes the new vegetables, and you will be prepared for some future year when the old standard tomato variety is no longer available.

To help your garden and landscape grow better and healthier this year, I have a few more suggested resolutions.

I resolve to add more mulch to my flower beds where it will decrease weeds, saving me money on weed killers and protecting the environment from useless weed killer applications.

I resolve to take the money-wasting mulch off the trunks of my trees, so it stops looking like the mountain of mulch is holding the tree up. Mulch piled on tree trunks kills trees; it doesn't help them.

I resolve to save time and money by pruning my trees and shrubs in their natural shapes, not goofy squares and balls.

I resolve to find out what disease or insect is affecting my plant before I pollute my yard with poisons that are used for treating something else. Saying "It can't hurt" isn't really true.

I resolve to mow my grass at a higher height. The longer leaves will support a better root system — it will need less water and can fight off weeds better.

I resolve to start a compost pile and add to it regularly, so that I don't have to waste money on compost to add to my garden.

I resolve to take my power tools and lawn mower for servicing and sharpening. Properly adjusted tools pollute less. And sharp tools work better, making them safer.

I resolve to order more catalogs from www.mailordergardening.com, as it is the source for the most comprehensive list of gardening catalogs.

And lastly, I resolve to enjoy my garden by eating outside more often, strolling through the yard to smell the flowers without pulling any weeds and having at least one party with family and friends over.

E-mail questions to Jeff Rugg, University of Illinois Extension at jrugg@illinois.edu. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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