2025 was a year of travel and new experiences for me, so it was wonderful over the December holidays to stay put, be at home, spend time outside, enjoy family, and reflect on the year. We had two family weddings in close succession in 2025, my 60th birthday to celebrate, and we became US citizens. Add in a heady mix of all four children living a flight away now, two in the US and two in the UK, and it truly has been a year of change.
2025 was also a hectic year in the garden. Interesting design projects for clients in CT meant I spent more time than planned in other people’s gardens, and I had set some pretty hefty business objectives, which kept me busy.
With all that in mind, it was interesting to reflect on how I did on the 2025 gardening resolutions I shared with you at the start of last year. How did you do on yours? For sure, I didn’t achieve everything on my list. Last year, when I commented that the great thing about gardening resolutions is that they never involve the word “less”, a friend reminded me that we can always hope for less weeds!
So here goes, let’s see how it went, warts and all!
2025 Gardening Resolutions
Expand the cut-flower garden in CT and learn more about cut-flower farming
Big tick here! I absolutely loved learning to grow cut flowers in our garden in CT. We started the year by adding new flower beds and shifting the focus from the formal gravel garden we created last year to beds designed for this purpose. I had help digging the new beds late spring, added compost in late winter, and some vermiculite to improve drainage. By early spring, I covered them with landscape fabric and got planting.
I also completed the Floret online Flower Farming Workshop, which I highly recommend. A modular course, it is appropriate for anyone considering cut flowers for their garden, even if you don’t plan to sell them. Erin, the founder of Floret, fronts the course herself and access to her and their resources is excellent. The workbook materials that accompany the course were lifesavers for planning and organising, and a bible I will use for a long time.
Growing cut flowers is a LOT of work, far more than I anticipated. Be prepared to dig deep in terms of hard labor, especially if, like me, you grow everything from seed. Try not to grow too much, too soon and be patient. Our season was very late in CT, so it was midsummer before I was producing floral bouquets. From there, the varieties of flowers to cut literally grew and grew, and the combinations of flowers I could draw from were way beyond my expectations.
I finished the year strong, preparing for spring, and planted over 700 bulbs suited for cutting. A combination of tulips, narcissi, and hyacinths went into crates, beds, and pots, and I am hopeful I will be ready to make some early-spring bouquets.
This first year was about experimenting. I gave bouquets to family and friends. It felt like a great way to figure out what I want to continue growing, which kinds of arrangements I like creating, how to reflect my personal style, and when and how I might begin selling in 2026.
Plant a mixed hedge in the Suffolk garden to encourage wildlife.
We planted the hedge in January last year, a combination of yew and holly. Sadly, the original bed location along the back of the driveway was too narrow, so we moved the plants to the top of the garden along the fence that backs onto the heath. Honestly, it’s been very slow progress. The UK had a very dry summer, and some of the plants have died because we weren’t there full-time. However, many have survived, and I am hopeful that with some pruning, fertilising and replanting, the hedge will start to establish itself this year.
Create a series of “How to…….” garden modules covering topics from seed growing to container gardening.
This is a goal to carry over into 2026. A lack of time and the feeling that I was still learning so much myself kept me from putting pen to paper on this one. I continued to share my experience and knowledge on the YGS blog, and I hope everyone continues to find it helpful. People tell me how much they enjoy reading them, so I’ll keep writing them!
Take a trip to three historic gardens I have not toured, at least two outside of the USA.
My travels enabled me to visit so many amazing gardens this year. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show was the highlight for sure, so many gardens in one place. Amazing gardens created by international designers, and a pavilion full of plants. Perfect. I discovered some fantastic new plant varieties and have added them to my garden. Beth Chatto Gardens in Essex, England, were gorgeous despite the heatwave. The gardens of Villa San Michele in Capri are an inspiring experience, a wonderful blend of nature and culture. My travels to San Francisco and North Carolina introduced me to new gardens, and of course, I was back at the New York Botanical Garden for the Orchid Show, which will run again this year from February 7th to April 26th. Get tickets at Mr Flower Fantastic Orchid Show.
Beyond the 2025 resolutions, it felt like YGS broke some new milestones:
- Hosted my first series of plant sales and received an amazing response from friends, family, and neighbors in CT. We sold out, and I was so happy to share some of the amazing plants I discovered at the Chelsea Flower Show as part of that sale. We also had an amazing plant giveaway on the front lawn. I met new people, talked to locals, and learned so much throughout the process about planning and organising a plant sale.
- Meeting Adam Frost twice!!! Yes, twice. First, at the Chelsea Flower Show, and then he came to our home in CT to talk about our garden and share his ideas on how we can continue to make the most of the 8 acres of land we have only just begun to understand. I hope to work more with him next year.
- Making wreaths, bouquets and floral crowns, for clients and just for fun!
- Continuing to work on the garden in Suffolk, where the meadow has made great strides.
And of course, throughout all of that, Lily was at my side.
So, what is the next chapter for Your Garden Story in 2026?
This year will be another one of change. With the house empty and retirement beckoning for Richard, it’s a year of transition. Celebrating my big birthday on the Isle of Mull in Scotland with family and close friends reminded me how important connection is. Connection to nature, connection to people and connection to your values. So this year’s list feels more like a move into a new chapter than a set of resolutions. Maybe the only absolute resolution is to do less, better and to have more fun doing it! With that in mind, this is what the next chapter of our story looks like.
Redesign the garden in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn garden was low down on the priority list in 2025, but that home and garden is the hub of our family. I designed the space over 10 years ago, and it’s time for a rethink. Climate change, neighbourhood construction, and vegetation changes have profoundly reshaped the space. A redesign of both the hardscape and the planting is the top priority for 2026.
Continue experimenting with cut flowers grown in CT.
- Add a pop-up greenhouse to get a head start on the growing season
- Revisit the Floret Farm program as an alumnus and formulate a “must-have” wish list of flowers for three full seasons
- Grow more flowers from plugs
- Offer a fall cut-flower CSA program in CT
Grow native perennials from seed for sale in fall 2026.
- I love growing plants from seed, inspired by my time as a nursery fellow at Gowanus Canal Conservancy. Really excited by that prospect, nothing more rewarding than planting a seed and seeing it grow into a beautiful, healthy plant that supports biodiversity in the garden.
Create a series of “How to…….” garden modules to share on Instagram/YouTube in 2026
Visit Sissinghurst Gardens in the UK.
- I have long wanted to visit Sissinghurst, the British garden designed by Vita Sackville-West, famous for its series of garden rooms, each focused on colour and planting.
Do less, better and have more fun!
If you need some inspiration for your New Year’s resolutions in the garden, as the days grow longer again, here are some suggestions for 2026:
Volunteer in a green space/garden
Learning to garden with others is the best way to learn. This year, I started volunteering at Hollister House, a beautiful English garden in Washington, CT. At my very first training session, I met like-minded people with a passion for gardening, with whom I have had the pleasure of volunteering. Gardeners are friendly folk, always willing to share ideas, and Hollister’s gardens are gorgeous, full of design inspiration. Look up public gardens in your area to see what opportunities exist. If you are in the UK, there are thousands of opportunities to volunteer locally. Start with the National Garden Organization, which has lots of volunteer options; you can even host a Garden Party!
Get out in the garden/green space every day!
I started running again at the end of 2025. I used to run miles in my 40s, and even ran the NY marathon shortly after moving to the US. One of many reasons I started again is the prompt it gives me first thing in the morning to get out into the fresh air. Light exposure regulates your circadian rhythm, your body’s internal clock. Getting sunlight in the morning, shortly after waking, has been proven to make us more alert, boost our mood, improve our sleep at night and lower our stress. Stepping into the garden most of the year gives us the sun exposure we need, but in the depths of winter, it’s not always possible to garden. Whatever you do, be it gardening, walking, running, swimming or just sitting, getting out into the sunshine for even a few minutes a day will improve your health.
Find a good gardening podcast or TV show that inspires you
I love listening to podcasts in the car, on a plane, or on the subway when I have the time. Here are some of my favorites from this year:
Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast
A classic British, friendly, chatty podcast with gardening celebrities like Monty Don, Adam Frost and more. There’s a lot of variety of topics covering all aspects of gardening, including Ask Alan and the short “what to do now” advice section. Gardeners World Podcast
Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange
Creative tips and flower expertise from one of my favorite cut-flower growers, Sarah Raven, who knows her stuff when it comes to flower and plant combinations. Spot on for inspirational ideas for cut-flower and planting combinations. Sarah Raven
Welcome to the Beginner’s Garden Podcast!
US-based, this podcast offers easy-to-understand tips and information to help beginner gardeners get the most out of their gardening, big or small. Beginners Garden Podcast
Growing Floret
This is a beautiful documentary series that follows the story of Erin and Chris Benzakein’s adventure creating their extraordinary flower farm, Floret, in Washington state. It explores their vision and passion for flower growing, and the grit it took to build a mission-focused, inspirational organisation. Growing Floret
Plant or grow native plants from seed in your garden
It’s the same suggestion as the last two years and just as important. No matter how big or small your space is, you can find native plants that attract wildlife to your garden and foster a robust, biodiverse ecosystem. Plant in a container or an existing bed combined with exotic plants, or take a piece of your lawn and replace it with wildflowers. Pollinators need our help. Loss of habitat is one of the main reasons we see fewer bees, butterflies, and insects visiting our gardens.
My favorite seed companies are Johnny Seeds, Hudson Valley Seed and Sarah Raven Seeds in the UK. Start small; buy a couple of packets of seeds and a few trays and experiment.
Making a 2026 New Year Garden Resolution makes a real difference to the environment and our experience of our backyard. Let’s keep working towards becoming stewards of our gardens.
I would love to hear your resolutions/plans in the garden, however big or small. Comment on Instagram or Facebook, or reach out on the website. Looking forward to sharing our gardens in 2026.
Here to help us all become gardeners and make the world greener.
Love Wendy x
