If you’re making any green-fingered resolutions for 2009, make them achievable.

Bear in mind the amount of time you have available. If you’re busy at work you’re unlikely to have time to landscape your garden. If you have a bad back, don’t resolve to dig a vegetable patch unless you have plenty of volunteers to help. Make the resolution something that you will be able to do with the time and space you have vailable.

Here are a few suggestions for more achievable projects.

Go on a gardening course:

One of the most widely-available courses is the RHS General Certificate in Horticulture, aimed at both the career gardener and the amateur. A list of colleges which run the course can be found on the Royal Horticultural Society’s website at rhs.org.uk.

The Inchbald School of Design is expanding its online courses in 2009. Two new web-based courses – Diploma in Principles and Practices of Garden Design, and Certificate in Design and Drawing – will supplement the existing year diploma course. Full course information can be found at inchbald.co.uk.

If you just want a weekend workshop, try the National Trust, which has a variety of events throughout the year. Go to nationaltrust.org.uk for details.

Rent an allotment:

As the push to grow your own fruit and veg continues, having an allotment is an ideal way for people to grow their own produce. It may be time-consuming, but if you don’t have enough space in your own garden for a vegetable patch, acquiring an allotment may be the answer. Contact your local authority for details on your nearest allotment and vacancies. Once you have found one, check it out. Consider the distance it is from your home, whether it has a mains water supply, which is vital, and maybe even whether it comes with a shed. Speak to neighbouring plot holders about the pros and cons of the site and check out the particular plot available to you. Will it have enough sun to grow fruit and veg, or will large trees be shading it? Ask about the soil, weeds, wind and weather.

Grow from seed:

If you don’t want to spend a fortune at the garden centre, pick up some packets of seeds, some seed trays and compost, make some of your windowsills available and start growing in late winter and early spring. Think about the annual bedding you like, which you might normally spend a lot of money on, and grow it from seed. It should save you a fortune and you’ll probably have more plants than you would if you filled a trolley at the local nursery. You don’t need a greenhouse or conservatory to enjoy success.

Create your own compost bin:

It may take a day to clear the area where you will house it, but it will be worth it. Ideally, have two compost containers – one which can be filled and then left for the compost to rot down while the other is being filled up. The container needs to build up heat inside, so avoid holes in the sides. Make the bin out of wooden slats. The area should be at least 1m sq (3ft sq). If you have an open compost bin, turn the compost waste every three months to ensure that the material around the edges breaks down properly. Cover the compost heap with plastic sheeting or old carpet in winter or rainy weather to keep the heat in and excess water out. A free-standing compost heap should take six to 12 months to rot down sufficiently for the compost to be used. It should be a dark, crumbly consistency when it’s ready.