Help your home garden flourish with these tips

VERMONT - Gardeners may find themselves thinking about the warmth of summer and getting back into the garden again. This daydreaming is a good opportunity to reflect on the past growing season and set goals for next year’s garden by making some New Year’s resolutions.
Bonnie Kirn Donahue, UVM Extension master gardener, offers 10 gardening resolutions to inspire gardeners to create their own lists.
Spend time reflecting on the gardening season that has just passed and take notes on what went well, what didn’t work, and what could be done this coming season.
Do some research in preparation for the next growing season. Struggled with blighted tomatoes or wished for a more consistent lettuce crop throughout the summer? Turnip leaves had tiny holes but the turnip roots were healthy? A quick internet search including keywords for the topic and “cooperative extension” will result in many options to review. Focus research on resources from the local region or from states that share similar climates.
When ordering seeds and plants, choose a few new varieties to try, such as an heirloom vegetable or flower or unusual native grass or perennial.
Incorporate more pollinator-friendly plants, such as milkweed, which has beautiful flowers and provides important food and habitat for the monarch butterfly, a species in decline. If milkweed doesn’t grow naturally, buy milkweed plants or seeds from local greenhouses that sell native plants.
Garden sustainably by conserving water with use of a drip irrigation system or rain barrel to collect water. Manage pests by using IPM - integrated pest managementtechniques  - instead of relying on dusts, sprays, and other pesticides. The latter practice also protects bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Start a compost pile and be diligent about turning it over frequently to ensure a good supply of organic compost to naturally enrich and feed the soil in the garden.
Keep weeds under control by pulling when small and mulching with straw or other organic mulches, a practice that also reduces water loss.
Leave perennials that have strong stem structures, attractive seed heads or interesting colors in the garden through the winter instead of cutting these back. In addition to aesthetics, these provide seeds for birds and habitats for insects, such as bees that may overwinter in the stems.
Spend time enjoying the garden next summer. Stop and smell the flowers. Observe butterflies and caterpillars and check plants for chrysalises to watch them change into moths or butterflies.
Last, take advantage of the resources available through the University of Vermont Extension Master Gardening Program. Check out its gardening resources page at https://go.uvm.edu/garden-resources, which includes helpful articles and information about upcoming events, courses, classes, and volunteer opportunities.
While the garden is tucked away for the winter, take time to dream of warmer weather and make some resolutions to have the best garden yet in 2022 and beyond.