And the Winner Is…

In last month’s “The Curious Gardener” eNewsletter I challenged my readers to come up with New Year’s Resolutions for gardening in 2012. I started things off with five of my own and offered to give away Womanswork Rose Gauntlet Gloves for my favorites.

I was amazed as the comments poured in throughout the month of January (Jan. 31 was the deadline). And because I listed five resolutions of my own, almost everyone who commented listed five, too. That’s a lot of resolutions! It gave me a real feeling for who these women are, and they all feel like kindred spirits.

The themes that run through a lot of the comments were things like resolving to take better care of tools, start a garden journal, plant plants in the ground instead of letting them languish in their pots, get control of the weeds earlier in the season, sit and enjoy the garden more often. There were also some truly ambitious goals such as installing a stone walkway, finishing a Master Gardener program, digging a pond, practicing saying the Latin plant names aloud.

My very favorite is from Myrene. This is what she wrote:

For several years I have made 1 garden resolution—to spend 15 minutes per day gardening. I live in Indiana where we have winter weather. It is surprising what can be accomplished in the winter months. Spring is so much fun when a lot of the work preparing for the next season has been slowly finished over the winter months. Last week I was able to prune shrubs and edge garden beds. Many invasive plants are easier to remove during cold weather. Give 15 minutes of gardening per day, 365 days a year, a try. I think you will be pleased with the results.

Myrene’s resolution is inspirational and makes me want to go outside right now for my 15 minutes of gardening! Thank you, Myrene.

The two runners up are Dianna K ("make some new gardening friends!") and Helene ("teach the deer to read the 'deer-resistant plant' list, and train the squirrels to think my blueberries are inedible").

Dianna K, Helene and Myrene will each receive a pair of Womanswork Leather Rose Gauntlet Gloves. Thank you to all who participated!

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Dorian Winslow, the president of Womanswork, is passionate about making the best products on the market for women who garden and work outdoors.

Horticulture publishes the free weekly e-newsletter, "Smart Gardening Tips," and "The Curious Gardener," a free monthly e-newsletter with more tips and articles by Dorian. Subscribe to our e-newsletters.