Garden Resolutions 2013

Spring might seem far away with February frost on the ground, but the season for planting is just around the corner. To get fresh ideas for flowers, fields, and veggie patches, we turned to some favorite gardeners—members of our very own terrain team. From budding green thumbs to master growers, each one had an inspiring garden resolution for 2013. 

Danielle, Graphic Designer
This year, I'm creating a rooftop oasis with a container garden on top of my building. I live in South Philly, so the green space is a relaxing change of pace. Last year I planted vegetables, but this time around I'm sticking to herbs since they're more manageable and yield more than veggie plants. I might also mix in one or two small trees, and hang some pocket planters to soften the fence around the deck's edges. For containers, I've been collecting vintage finds like tin troughs and enamelware. Another major goal is adding an accessible water source-- last year I carried a bucket up three flights from my kitchen!

Susan, Food Specialist
One of my favorite ways to relax is flower arranging, so my resolution is to plant a cutting garden. I prefer wild, natural arrangements, so that philosophy guides my gardening style. I love to grow flowers from seed and sow them for an informal garden. It’s a great way to fit gardening into a tight schedule, and adds the surprise of seeing what blooms later in the season. I plan to plant old-fashioned flowers like cosmos, larkspur, sunflowers, and bachelor buttons, as well as ferns and greens to fill out arrangements. From year to year, I also count on the return of volunteers like foxgloves. 

Greg, Creative Director
My resolution starts with putting in a deer fence so that I can plant native rhododendron on my landscape. And speaking of natives, I’m also in the process of restoring my woods, now full of invasives, to its native flora. Eventually, I want to plant my back hill with masses of chionodoxa and expand a miniature alpine garden that I created about ten years ago. It’s going to be a busy season...

Caitlin, Merchandise Manager
My resolution was inspired by a recreated medieval garden I saw at The Cloisters in New York. The Cloisters museum and gardens are a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and they use willow to create structures like fences, border-edging, and trellises for flowering vines and veggies. I want to make my own woven willow trellises, and then use them to train vines in my garden. I imagine them covered with fast-growing vegetable vines like peas or cucumbers as the summer progresses.

Chris, Merchandising Specialist
I have two goals this year. First, I want to plant a garden completely comprised of bulbs. Though I’m still in the planning stages, I'd like a variety that keeps the garden in bloom from spring to fall. I also want to create a longer growing season by planting some vegetables in a greenhouse so I can enjoy them in early spring and late fall. I have a small, pop-up greenhouse, where I’ll plant cold-tolerant veggies-- Brussels sprouts, broccoli, peas, beans, and greens like lettuce, arugula, spinach, and kale.

Meredith, Special Projects Manager
My plans this year include gardens that help me pursue my passions. I love to cook, so I always plant lots of edibles. Rosemary, sage, and basil are my three must-have herbs. I also grow tomatoes to pair with the basil, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, and our Pink Himalayan salt for a summer snack. One of my other hobbies is natural fabric dyeing; I lead workshops at terrain and dye my own yarn for knitting. To make dyes, I plant things like hollyhock (purple), hibiscus (pale pink), and coreopsis (yellow).

Megan, Production Specialist
My resolution is plant commitment. I'm head over heels when I make and bring a new terrarium or planted arrangement home. I fall in love with the colors, the texture of the leaves, the arrangement-- everything about said planter is pure perfection. For three or four months there is nothing that can come between that planter and me. Occasionally, I even name them! A few months down the line, though, we drift apart. Sometimes a new plant distracts me, sometimes it’s just natural separation. I need to learn to appreciate the longevity of house plants and remember that their permanence and beauty can last more than a few months.

Mia, Assistant to the President
This year, my resolution is to continue a project that I started last spring, when I took over the planters in front of my building. I don't always have the greenest of thumbs, so the experience is challenging but also really fun and rewarding. I've filled the space with a variety of plants including lime green hostas, colorful blooms like tricyrtis, coleus, and ligularia, and goldenrod for height. My favorite addition so far has been a cotton plant-- it actually produces cotton and I love pointing it out to my neighbors! This spring, I'm looking forward to planting again because I feel like I've developed a stronger sense of design thanks to the experience I gained last year.