Mid-Summer 2026 Garden To-Do List Check-In - August 2026

As Walt Disney has (famously) said:  Everbody needs deadlines.  

That includes me; an amateur suburban gardener.  

I also need a way to focus and prioritize.  That's why I began to make myself an annual to-do list.  Here is my 2026 to-do list.  

Over the past few years, I've also 'graded' myself against the list.  Tracking how much I accomplished.  Last Year, I also did a mid-Summer check-in post and it helped me close out the season strong.  At this time, I had 11 done, and 7 items both in-process and incomplete.  I ended the year at 17 (done) and 8 (incomplete), so I closed out 6 additional items.  

What about 2026?  Here's where we stand at the end of August:

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.

Status: Well...I didn't replace the Oakleaf Hydrangeas. But, I did install a full perimeter of metal mesh fencing around the bottom of our fence. To try to keep the rabbits out. Is it bullet proof? No. They still get in. But, far less. And, one at a time. That I can try to push to leave. In Process.

2. Priority Project 2: Expand and fix the edges of the front yard island bed.

Status:  I fixed the island bed, connected the Saratoga bed to both the island and front porch.  And, expanded the front porch.  Complete.  

3. Priority Project 3: Finish a “Garden Edit” in back: Pizza oven border.
Status: I planted out 10 Hakonechloa Macra grasses. Five Lady's Mantle. Three Stachys Hummello 'Summer Crush'. Two Nodding Alliums. Two more Chartreuse on the Loose Nepeta. And, transplanted some Anemone 'Lucky Charm'. I want to plant more. But, let's call this one done. Complete.

4. Plant up the Pizza Oven for depth.
Status: See above. Complete.

5. Finish the pizza oven.
Status: Still no final roof. And, trim still needs to be finished. In process.

6. Go (even) big(ger) on dahlias.
Status: I have more than 40 dahlia tubers in the ground. And, have been keeping up with them. So far. Season just really starting for these, though. Let's say: In process. 

7. Support System for Dahlias.
Status: A work-in-progress. In process. 

8. Experiment with other cut flowers.
Status: Bought plugs. Planted them. None of them have been awesome. Still holding out hope that they'll work and I'll fall in love. Let's say: In process. 

9. Accents, too.
Status: Growing eucalyptus in the Greenstalk. And, in beds. Pushed through some difficulty. So...looking good. But, for now: In process. 

10. Keeping going with annuals as bedding plants.
Status: Planted tons of annual Vinca in front. And 40 white Polka Dot plants in the back. And, coleus in front and back. Love the Moondust coleus. Coming around on the Wizard Sun Velvet Red coleus. I thought they were 'too small', but I'm now thinking they're *just right*.   The Nicotiana Saratoga has been awesome.  And, so has the one shade impatiens that I planted in the back.  More of those next year.   I'm pleased with this one.  Complete. 

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.
Status: I planted a Blue Spruce Globosa (on Standard). Complete. 

12. Fall project: Expand beds.
Status: Do it this Fall, Jake. Do it. Incomplete.

13. Plant fall bulbs.
Status: Incomplete.

14. Be an active Compost Gardener.
Status: Filling. Emptied the tumbler (yesterday).  But, not turning. Yet. Incomplete. 

15. Stay focused by using the concept of Repetition vs. new.
Status: Mostly good about this. But, the Fall Planting season is approaching. In Process.

16. Do better containers.
Status: Meh. One good one. Front porch one is lame. Incomplete.

17. Add more Personality to our garden.

Status: Added an arbor to the firepit. Added stumpery stumps. Added a garden bench. In Process.

18. Placemake.
Status: I installed the bench. Sort-of. Incomplete.

19. Upgrade the Stumpery.
Status: 15 ferns + two stumps. Complete.

20. Keep going on Groundcover.
Status: Planted 45 groundcover plants. Little Lamb, Carex, Ajuga. Good stuff. Need even more. But, for this year: Complete.

21. Add another ornamental maple.
Status: I added two. But, lost the Arctic Jade, so one was a replacement. Alpenglow and North Wind Korean Maple to the backyard. I added a columnar Hornbeam to the firepit, so that's a win, too. Complete. 

22. Be a weeder.
Status: Not as good as I should be. In Process.

23. Upgrade water and lights.
Status: Nope. Need to do this. Incomplete.

24. Install a cut flower garden in the area near the patio in the back.
Status: Still bluesky. Dreaming. Incomplete.

25. Work on my Great Garden Rules list.
Status: I feel good about living up to these. In Process.

That puts me at:

Complete: 8. 

In Process: 10

Incomplete:  7

Of the 10 In Process items, I feel good about at least seven of them (dahlias, supports, other cut flowers, accent growing, Repetition, Personality via the arbor and bench and the list).  The oven is going to not have a final roof.  I haven't kept up with weeding.  But, I did mulch. And I didn't replace the Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  But...I did Rabbit fence the yard.  

Of the 7 Incomplete items,  I think that I can get to five of them.  This Fall, I can: expand beds, plant some fall bulbs, turn the bins and continue composting, play around with the Alpine trough for water and lights,  and if I write a post about the bench, that sort-of helps towards: "placemake", right?)

One is (mostly) a miss;  better containers.  The other?  Too blue sky:  aka...a "Bluesky Garden".  

If we end up with: 8 already done + 7 In Process + 5 Incomplete = 20 out of 25.  I'll take it.