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My new years res… er, aspirations!

Writer's picture: Kate WalzKate Walz

The fresh crisp pages of a new yearly planner purchased right after January 1, is like a fresh start to the new year ahead. I buy one every January and dutifully fill it each Monday morning with the week’s tasks ahead, feeling a sense of accomplishment as I do so. But by the time February comes, I tend to ditch the planner and I revert back to my standard weekly to-do list on a piece of lined notebook paper. But that’s just how my neurodivergent brain works. At least I’m aware of it this year! And along those lines, I also know that trying to set and keep my 2025 resolutions is a recipe in emotional failure. I have good intentions and grand ideas. But the year is long and really, how can I keep up with these for 365 days?! 


So this year, I’m trying something different. Instead of resolutions for things I want to change, I’m thinking ahead to aspirations and goals - things I’d like to achieve or at least work toward doing more. I asked myself “What do I want to do this year?”, “What are some things I want to do more of?” “What things do I want to add to my garden and/or my life?”. For me, these are much less stringent than “I will lose 10lbs; I will design 50 gardens; I will hike Machu Pichu” - because if I don’t accomplish those, the sense of failure sets in. 


Alice, my favorite character,, running through the lilly pads at NY Botanical Garden.
Alice, my favorite character,, running through the lilly pads at NY Botanical Garden.

Here are some of my 2025 aspirations:


1. Make more time for free creativity

I’m a creative person. I love to dream up ideas, projects, garden plans, plant combinations, flower designs, flower crafts, etc. I’m constantly thinking “What else can I do with this?” I find it calming to sit amongst a table full of stuff and put something together (I guess that’s also why I love jigsaw puzzles). But when life gets busy and push comes to shove, these quiet moments of creating get regulated to the bottom of the pile. This year, I’m going to try to make more time to just sit and create. It may never go anywhere further than my kitchen table, or it could end up a gift for someone. Who knows, But setting aside time to just allow the thoughts and creativity to flow is important for me and my own mental well being. (Side note, I already have so many ideas I want to do. Stay tuned!)


Taking time to smell the flowers - literally!
Taking time to smell the flowers - literally!

2. Enjoy the beauty and not just look for the weeds

So this can obviously be applied to every day life too, but literally speaking, I want to enjoy and stay present in the moment, especially in my garden. All too often, I walk around my garden and instead of noting the beauty of a flower, the amazing combination of two plants, the intricate dance of a bumble bee on a flower head, I’m looking at what needs to be done - what needs need to be pulled, trimmed, divided, transplanted or added. Yes, those are important and if I’m being honest, its my favorite thing about the garden. But I want to sit and listen to the bees, watch the butterflies, note how the petals unfurl and the stems move in the breeze. In my personal life - same. I want to just take it in, even for 5 minutes, and stay present. As Ferris told me so many years ago, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around, you might miss it!” Love ya Ferris!


3. Build something new in the garden

I’d like to build something new in my yard this year. At the moment, I’m thinking of either (both?) a pond or a rain garden. I’d love to combine the two, but I don’t have the space. I’ve been thinking of a pond for a while and last year, I built a water feature but it was very small. I’d like to build something more substantial this year, complete with aquatic plants, a little ramp for the frogs to perch and maybe even a few fish to keep the ecosystem working as it should. So right now, I’m in the beginning stages - where would l put it, how big would it be, in ground or above ground, etc. We’ll see!


My dream pond that I found at a home in Michigan
My dream pond that I found at a home in Michigan

Last semester, I completed a Sustainable Gardening class at a local college. I loved every second of it and learned so much! But one of the topics was on rain gardens and their function in absorbing rain water runoff and purifying water with the use of deep rooted native plants. My front yard slopes down toward the street and I think I know where I could successfully create a garden like this. I just need to figure out the details, but I’m excited to try!


4. Work toward a healthier me

I’m a fairly strong woman for my age and once the weather warms, I’m outside all the time - lugging bags of mulch, carrying gallon+ size plant pots, spreading compost and the like. I’m active. But I’m also 50 now and it’s time for me to make sure I’m taking care of my body, my joints, my heart and especially my brain. Staying active, staying connected and taking time to rest when my body tells me to (something I’m not good at!). 


And there they are - just 4 aspirations for 2025. I hope I can continue to work toward them and have a great year ahead. Think I can do it? I'll let you know next January!


What about you? What are your hopes, plans, aspirations for 2025?

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Kate Walz

kate@kwgardensandflowers.com

516-405-3702

Port Washington, New York

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