New Year Resolutions in NC

There's a easier way to get fit in 2021. Instead of paying a trainer or fitness center, ponder the idea of working in your yard and pay yourself in delicious rewards. If you want to get fit, exercise more, spend more time with family, manage stress, eat better, learn a new skill, get more fresh air, and lose a few pounds, working in your very own garden will reap all of these. 

If you have kids or grandkids, use incentives to start them off but they will soon enjoy it as well. Have them find or identify the weeds or garden pests or who can pull the most weeds in 10 minutes. Teach them how to grow, tend, harvest and preserve. They can help decide which vegetables are ready for picking for dinner and help prepare them. 

To get started, Google your local county extension office for more information on what grows well in your garden zone and when the last frost occurs. With this info in hand, you can plan a calendar to-do list. Mid March in Catawba county is the best time to plant: beets, carrots, Chinese cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, Swiss chard, turnips, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower in your garden. 

We can keep our resolutions this year even if we are just getting started in March!