How to Break out of a Gardening Rut this Year

Idea #1: Go for a walk or take a hike. Like many parents say, the fresh air will do you good, and you can't help but be inspired. When you're outside, observe what you like in other landscapes, and keep notes.

The gardening off season is a great time to check out botanical gardens and public parks. Winter is the time of year to see the bones of the garden, like pathways, fences and walls. Even when the weather keeps you inside, you can tour notable gardens online via Youtube, or fill your Instagram and Pinterest feeds with blooms when you follow botanical gardens.

Pothos and sansevieria are a success in your home, so now it’s time to expand your collection. Try deceptively easy aglaonema (also called Chinese evergreen), or instead of finicky monstera, try a rubber plant. There's always peperomia, the sharing plant, to gift to your houseplant loving friends.

Propagating new plants from your current houseplants is a fun way to expand your collection, too. Many plants benefit from pruning, and you can often add root cuttings in a vase of water near a light-filled window. After roots appear, transplant the cuttings to new pots with fresh potting mix.

When you’re outside looking at gardens, take pictures of garden paths for inspiration in your own landscape. Walkways guide your eye as well as your feet. Installing a few stepping stones through your garden will change the way you experience your garden.

Garden paths can be as simple as a mulch covered trail, or a few pavers through your garden beds. Learn the steps to build a paver path.

Sometimes, being in a garden rut means having no garden at all. If you’re new to gardening, finding a comfortable place to begin can be overwhelming. Should you grow flowers or vegetables or houseplants? Or everything all at once?

Avoid feeling overwhelmed when you begin with containers. Grow succulents, herbs, vegetables or flowers. Be flexible and start with seeds or seedlings. Everything you need to begin gardening in containers, from soil to seedling to fertilizer, is available in the Garden Center and online. Get started with ideas for gardening in containers.

Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds make your garden come alive in late summer. Plan now to add their favorite flowers to your landscape and, come August, you will experience your garden in a brand new way.

To get started, spread wildflower mixes and tried-and-true favorites like zinnias when the soil is workable in spring. As an added bonus: you’ll have a lovely cut flower garden in addition to a pollinator habitat.

Learn how to create a garden buffet for pollinators.

In the same way that a new pair of shoes can give you a fresh look on life, so can new garden tools. If the trowel you've used for years has a flimsy handle, why not invest in a trowel with solid handle construction? Or maybe you're using a rusty rake from your parent's garage. This is the time to select sturdy new tools that will help you work in the garden more efficiently and with less stress on your body.

Big or small, check out our buying guide for garden tools.

Many gardeners say that the birds are the reason they started gardening. It's easy to set up a bird feeder near a window and observe from the comfort of your home.

You may think of birds as garden pests, and it's true you may want to protect your blueberries with bird netting. But birds also eat insect pests in your garden, and are a delight to watch.

Get started planning a bird-friendly yard by creating shelters and offering water and bird seed. Learn more about gardening for the birds.

Get out of your gardening slump by embracing whimsy in your landscape. Garden art, from statues to flags, can fill your outdoor spaces just like your indoor spaces. It doesn't have to be all rustic, although that has a certain charm. Take a note from garden designers and use mirrors and gazing balls to elegant effect.