My 2025 Garden Glow Up

2025 is the year I've finally decided to have a "glow up" in the garden. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a "glow up" is a casual term for a positive change in a person's appearance. I'd like to take that idea further and focus on the purpose of why I'm " glowing up" my garden. I've observed how much hotter and drier the summers have been here in New England. I've noticed a significant decline in the amount of butterflies in my landscape and it's concerning. My time and energy has changed as well and I'd like to spend much more time enjoying the garden than working in the garden. Lastly, gardening has become a bit too expensive and I need to scale back spending and get thrifty!

The following paragraphs will break down each area with my transformation plan. Fortunately, some of these changes started in 2024 so this gardening season should complete this project!

We all know how important water is to the sustenance of life. Consecutive summers of drought have killed off many of my delicate annuals ,perennials, shrubs and trees. Those native plants, though,just kept growing and were the rock stars of summer. Lots of seed and plant swapping with fellow gardeners will help me fill the empty spots in my landscape with native plants. Presently, my kitchen windowsill is home to a Red Twig Dogwood rooting station. Once the branches form roots they will then become their own shrubs and resilient ones as well. Those will get planted out among the hedges on either side of the property.

Last summer I counted about 5 butterflies in my landscape filled with flowers! The summer before I only saw one butterfly all summer! I was devastated to see such a decline in an important pollinator. The wild bee population has grown in my yard, as they are ground dwellers, so they seem to be safeguarded. Most of last fall was spent researching and planting vital, native, three-season host plants for butterflies in the Connecticut region. I joined the Pollinator Pathway Project and now am updated with helpful information on ways to attract and keep butterflies in my garden. It is a nationwide platform and highly recommended.

Deadheading spent flowers and watering was a garden task I once enjoyed but now would much rather go collect seeds. So this summer I'll be putting in plants more about foliage for the containers. My list of foliage plants includes caladium and ivy. These plants are also very drought resistant so that means less watering! The flowers that I do plant either have to be self cleaning or make seeds for the birds to eat. Tithonia (Mexican sunflower), Sunflower, Salvia, Zinnia,Cosmos,Celosia and Gomphrena will be cut for bouquets. If I don't get to them all it's alright because the birds will feast on the seeds all summer and fall.

Winter is the toughest part of the year to control my garden spending. The catalogs and emails come in and everything is so beautiful. I'm craving color, life and summer but in reality those plants aren't arriving here until mid May. So even if those purchases are made I still don't have that immediate satisfaction. January through March of 2025 have been the intensive "glow up" for this aspect of my gardening. How did I get through it and become a diamond in the rough? Outsource and suceed! Visit Botanical centers, conservatories and greenhouses but don't bring your wallet..haha! Many libraries now have free seed libraries and plant propagation libraries to take and donate. I spent these three months collecting seeds and plant propagations from my local libraries with the hope that next winter I will return with donations. I also started growing caladiums last year and over wintered the bulbs in the basement. I am hoping this project to be successful and will have saved a ton of money by having caladium plants this summer for free. With a geranium propagation station of my own there are now 8 new bubblegum pink geraniums to put out this summer. Of course, I did make new purchases for plants through online stores with coupons, free shipping and rewards programs. A well thought out plan of what was needed made the purchases easier to budget. In the spring I will visit the two local, independently owned garden centers to shop local for bulk items such as potting soil and organic fertilizer.

Setting realistic goals for the garden is always a good idea. Now that I have created specific intentions, though, these goals will be easier to achieve.

Some photos of my Garden "Glow Up" in Action!