Make a monthly practice of doing good for yourself, your landscape and Mother Earth.
It’s February — time for a goal check! Are you still sticking to your resolutions? January is traditionally a time for good intentions and fresh starts, with many folks resolving to take steps to get healthier, connect more with others, and reduce stress in their lives.
And gardening is a natural fit for these goals — you’ll work up a sweat weeding or carrying heavy bags of mulch when you step away from that stressful screen. Plus, watering plants is a sure way to connect with any nearby anoles in my experience.
So, sneak in one last resolution for the year — make new friends, water by hand, take deep breaths with the sun on your face (wear sunscreen, save lives, save money) and make a monthly practice of doing good for yourself and the earth.
Stay strong, you can make it through the year!
Spring goals
February: You may be eyeing the loppers, but don’t do it! Save the Stems on your perennials and wait until spring to cut them. If you trim them to 8 to 24 inches in spring, you’ll be creating nesting cavities for our native bees where female bees will tuck in little balls of pollen and lay eggs on them. The pollen balls are food for the larvae.
Remember, in winter you only need to water once a month unless our yards have been refreshed with a little rain. Turning off your sprinklers in winter can help reduce your sewer charges.
March: Are you committed? This month, I want you to bump out a landscape bed or create a new bed with our Landscape Coupon program. Yes, you get extra pats on the back for choosing native plants from the list of approved water-saving coupon plants.
I will also give gold stars to you for replacing the back-up battery on your irrigation controller and updating the time when we all spring forward March 9.
April: Choose your own adventure for Earth Day! Check out our events calendar and text your friends to go with you to one of our community’s Earth Day events. Lots of ideas to make a difference are available online, whether you’re drawn to protecting our water resources, wildlife or resiliency efforts.
When you get home, make sure you turn your Lights Out to help keep migrating birds safe.
May: The No Mow May campaign has been drawing attention to the idea of not mowing your lawn to benefit pollinators and inspiring conversations around creating bee lawns, minimizing lawns and how it can impact other wildlife. Have a ponder on these ideas and how you may want to approach stewardship of your landscape.
Summer goals
June: Turning the sprinklers on? Once-a-week watering rules are a key community effort during drought and part of SAWS Water Management Plan to secure our water supplies. If you have native plants, you may want to water every other week.
July: Do you like moths? I like moths! Reflect on what you are providing for our fluttery nocturnal friends/pollinators during National Moth Week, July 19-27. Citizen scientists are needed to collect data and explain to neighbors why you’re painting smashed bananas and beer on trees (answer: to attract moths).
August: Have you checked to make sure your irrigation system is working well with no runoff? Sprinkler heads often get damaged by mowers and create fun but wasteful geysers.
Fall goals
September: Lights Out is back! Be bird friendly during migration months and turn off unnecessary exterior lighting.
Set monthly calendar reminders to update your sprinkler’s seasonal adjust setting for the fall. Plants don’t need as much water.
October: There’s stuff to do and stuff not to do this month. Your to-do list includes scattering wildflower seeds for Texas Native Plant Week and educating neighbors about the items on your to-don’t list. Your to-don’t list includes not raking leaves and cutting back plants. Just let go of any guilt for not tidying your yard when you Leave the Leaves to help protect wildlife in winter and Save the Stems. (Did you click on the link earlier in the article? If not, here’s your chance to do it now.)
November: Texas Arbor Day is Nov. 7. Plant a tree to help cool our city for future generations and hug all the trees you want! Science shows it reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and improves immune function when you breathe in phytoncides from trees.
Mid-month you’ll want to turn your irrigation system off to help conserve water and save on your sewer charges next year.
December: Is your yard hygge enough? Cozy up your home landscape for wildlife!
Resolve to keep going in the New Year!