2026 Yard And Garden To-Do List

'Tis the season for setting my goals for the yard and garden this year.  As I've done for the past few years, I've put together my annual "To Do List" as a way of keeping myself on track.  Thanks to this here garden diary and posts like this one (early, early look post) and this one (last year's final tally) and this [2026 to-do] tag help make putting together this list much easier.  

Like anything in life, in order to be successful in the garden (or...I should say...in order for ME to be successful...), I need a goal.  A target.  Otherwise, I'll be aimless.  Will I get some things done?  Yes.  But, are they the most impactful, most critical, most enjoyable parts?  Maybe?  But, when I sit down and think about what I want to accomplish both short term (this season) and as part of a longer-term approach, I find that I can reference this list as the season goes on to ensure that I'm spending my time and resources effectively.  

Some of them are hold-overs.  Some are finishing things that started in previous years.  Some are identical to previous years.  And some are net new. 

Some things are totally gone (Like..the lawn.  In previous years, I've spent a ton of time/effort on turf grass).  

Some things are amped up (Like flowers.  They weren't present as recent as two-or-three years ago.  But, this year there are multiple items on flowers and annuals.)

I even included what I already KNOW is a big stretch item that is unlikely to get done.  I'm good knowing that going into this year.  But, I want to stretch myself.  

So...here below are 25 items for 2026.  This feels like a good mix for 2026.  The season is upon us.

Here. We. Go.

1. Priority Project 1: Stop fighting nature (Or…as they say: nature finds a way): Begin the replacement process for the backyard the Oakleaf Hydrangeas. The rabbits can’t attack ‘treeform’ flowering shrubs and I know that I *really* like the look of the Doublefile Viburnums, so if I can find them, buy a few to replace the Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas in the “kitchen curved” bed out back.

2. Priority Project 2: Expand and fix the edges of the front yard island bed. But, use a ‘fewer curves’ approach to making a curvilinear shape. Last year, I planted Coleus (which was great) and Supertunias (which weren’t), so strike the right balance between colorful annuals (maybe mirror what I put in the front porch bed) along with some coleus for foliage.

3. Priority Project 3: Finish a “Garden Edit” in back: Pizza oven border. With Hakonechloa Macra (straight variety) grasses. Has been on my list for years, but last year I didn’t find the grasses up at Northwind, so the project just stalled. More than I think I need, probably.

4. Plant up the Pizza Oven for depth. Sort-of adjacent to #3, but adding some perennials for color and depth in that same pizza oven bed (underneath the Tree Swing Oak tree) is also something that I’ve had on my list for more than one season. Th answer? Plant a colony Stachys Hummelos around the 3 Wichita Blue Junipers. This specific combo (Stachys + blue, upright conifers) been something on my [garden inspiration board] for a few years and I specifically put those Wichita Blues after looking for them for a number of years. I’ve been happy with the Stachys Hummellos in the front, so why not put them back here, too. Start with (at least) six.

5. Finish the pizza oven. Year three of the oven build needs to be the final year. Veneer, roof, trim.

6. Go (even) big(ger) on dahlias. Cut flower farming to the max. Start them indoors, feed them. Spray them. And, make a lot of arrangements.

7. Support System for Dahlias.  Get ahead of the frames and support systems for the dahlias. Last year, I lost a number of large stems to cracking over/tipping over because I wasn’t ready for the weight/size of the stems and had to jump into action with wood stakes to save them. This year, think about support when they get planted in Spring.

8. Experiment with other cut flowers. Plant them in the ground (in the garden beds) and add some variety to my arrangements.

9. Accents, too.  Speaking of adding variety to cut flower arrangements, we can do better job of growing accent plants for foliage. Plan to use the Greenstalk Vertical Garden for these cut flower accent plants this year. Instead of growing vegetables. Do a row of herbs and then load up the vertical garden pockets with accent plants like the Eucalyptus that I grew last year.

10. Keeping going with annuals as bedding plants.  I called having White Polka Dot Plants in the backyard as a ‘win’ last year. They worked in shade and brightened up dark areas. I put ten under the Lindens. Buy more this year. And, use them in multiple spots to lean-into the idea of “Repetition”. Why? In service of “Garden Legibility”, of course. What else? Another star is Inferno Coleus in back and in the island bed. And, I’ve tried various colorful annuals up front, but last year, Vinca worked really well in front porch bed. I’ll repeat that and think about adding it to #2 above (repetition at play again…). Or replicate this in bedding plants with vinca + salvia.

11. Conifers Should Come First. I’ve missed on this advice big time. That means…there’s no time like the present to try to correct things. So…in 2026: add one.

12. Fall project: Expand beds. Using the lazy method. Here we are, in Spring, and I still haven’t done this. Do it in Fall, Jake.

13. Plant fall bulbs. For my first few gardening seasons, I was pretty good about planting fall bulbs. Alliums and tulips, mostly. But, I got away from it. Get back to it this Fall. And…Try a bulb lawn in front. Yes…a bulb lawn. Or, at least a patch of bulb lawn as an experiment.

14. Be an active Compost Gardener. That means…not just adding material to the bins. But, manage them. Have a plan for moisture/water. Upgrade the bins with planks. And…turn all of them over at least once this season.

15. Stay focused by using the concept of Repetition vs. new. I had this same one in my 2025 list. This is a reminder to future Jake who is staring at the tables at the nursery this Summer. Stop. Focus. More of what we have, not wandering diversity. See #1, #3, #8. That means: Sun Kings, Autumn Ferns, Ajuga, Sedums, Carex, Autumn Moor Grasses, Hakonecholas, Astilbes, Nepeta and annuals. For shrubs, it means Viburnums.

16. Do better containers.  A chronic condition for me. Look at this inspo for an idea this year.

17. Add more Personality to our garden. Fairy Garden structure. A ‘weed bin’? Those are good ideas. But, I think something like this edging adds personality, but also aids in ‘legibility’.  Or...see #19 below and do a two-birds-one-stone thing with an upgraded Stumpery.

18. Placemake. I think the most straight-forward way to do this is to build out a ‘place’ for a Garden Bench. Call it ‘garden personality adjacent’. Find a spot and make a small bench area to sit and enjoy the garden. Similarly…install a framed Arch. Or, walk-thru pergola/entrance. #17 and #18 kind-of go together.

19. Upgrade the Stumpery. Better stumps. Better plants. Better wattle fence?  Plus toss in continued Hosta replacement, too. The thing that I need to add here are even more Autumn Ferns. See #15. I have some Autumn Ferns and LOVE them. More is better.

20. Keep going on Groundcover. It isn’t sexy, but it is something I need to continue to buy and invest in: living mulch. That means two three things: Ajuga, Carex and Sedums. Also, give it another go and plant some on the boardwalk.

21. Add another ornamental maple. A Korean Maple most likely? Or this Fernleaf variety? If the firepit Emperor 1 died, replace it. Otherwise, think about adding one closer to the patio.

22. Be a weeder. Last year, I weeded and mulched. Do it more. Think about adding a ‘bin’ like I said up in #17 to help aid with seed collection.

23. Upgrade water and lights. I’ve long watched videos about building a DIY curtain fountain. I should build one of those. And, get the wiring back working on the southside.

24. Install a cut flower garden in the area near the patio in the back. It would have to go in the only TRUE sunny spot in our backyard. This is a STRETCH one on the list. I called it a “bluesky” idea when I first posted about it this past Winter. Even part of it - fence, beds, even rows created in the Fall for next year.

25. Work on my Great Garden Rules list. I published a first draft in January with ten items. “Working on” it means living by the rules, but also thinking about if those are the right/proper/best ten best rules. There’s already one notion that isn’t on that list that is percolating as a pressing issue this year: don’t fight nature. It might warrant an edit to the rules - or a v2.