Happy 2018 to everyone. I do hope it will be better than 2017 which was a most depressing year in more ways than I care to count.  We spent the moment when 2017 became 2018 as usual--asleep. We don't stay up late any more and drinking to excess no longer seems like fun.

I don't do the resolution thing either. Too often in the past I made resolutions that were too big to accomplish, so at odds with my character, or reflected some notion society at large said I should do that I broke them or forgot them before the middle of January.

However, this is a good time to reflect on the past year to see what worked for you, what you might like to change, and to make some decisions about what actions to take. That cold that left me in a lethargic fog for nearly two weeks and which hasn't yet passed off totally was a good catalyst for making some decisions. I cleaned out the lemon verbena which I will grow as an annual from now on. It gets too leggy though I did manage to keep it in better control this year than other plants in earlier years. It is also too messy as the leaves start to drop. I badly neglected all of the plants but did manage to revive in time to save the hibiscus and its cuttings, and two lavender I started from seed and the lavender cutting I took from the garden plants. I lost the basils and the mints I started from cuttings. However, the plants had developed nice root systems before I neglected them to death. I plan to do more cuttings next season.

Looking at the gardens I decided I won't replace the very large pot that developed a crack in its first season. Instead I will move the stool into that place and put three (maybe?) smaller pots on it with a large one in front. That will be easier to manage I think. I also got rid of the hens 'n' chicks. I really don't like growing them myself and I won't be putting up the spiral hanger where I had then last season. They were one of the very few plants that grew well there but if I don't use the hanger I have no need for the plants.

Last year's garden was the usual mixed bag. The clematis and hibiscus did well. I brought the hibiscus inside, trimmed it and it is doing nicely. I mulched the clematis hoping it will revive in the spring. We'll see. I got a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes but my oxheart tomatoes didn't produce at all. Nor did my peppers which was a major disappointment. The strawberries did well enough to encourage me to double my order in the spring to put in more. Sunflowers disappointed so I will find another variety for this year. All of the herbs did very well. I am still getting my orders ready. Our illnesses put me way behind.