Why I Oughta...

Last year, I did an early September review of my seasonal to-do list as a way of inventory'ing what I had accomplished and force myself to focus on what is still left untouched.  At that time , I marked 13 as 'complete' and 12 as 'incomplete'.   This year, I set up the very same 25 item list that I have each of the past few seasons, but before I even write this post, it sure feels like I'm behind my normal pace in the yard and garden. So...without further delay, let's do a Late-Summer Check-in on my 2024 to-do list .   Let's run through the list - some of these items have more 'weight' than others, but for now...lets figure out which of the 25 are 'complete'.   1. Build the pizza oven.  In-process.  Building the dome.  I wanted to be done by Labor Day, but for a couple of reasons, I'm not done.  But, this is a BIG, BIG project.   2. Push through the discomfort around flowers.  Complete.   Dahlia tubers.  Zinnias from seed.  Real

Prioritizing is important for a gardener like me.  Without a task list, I end up spinning around and not getting things done that I wanted to/planned to/thought about.  Instead, I flutter about with the latest thing that I come across and when I look back at the season, I end up disappointed.  That's where this whole 'to-do list' thing came from:  prioritizing the many needs.  Like most growing seasons, I was optimistic. And went out of the gate hard with a big goal and started with 25 items on my 2023 to-do list - published in early April 2023 . Historical look at my previous lists: Here's my 2019 'Season Scorecard '. 12/17. 70% complete. Here's my 2020 'Season Scorecard' . 22 of 25 complete . 88%. Here's my 2021 'Season Scorecard '. 17.5 completes. 2 semi-completes. 5.5 not-completes. 70%. Here's my 2022 'Season Scorecard. ' 17 completes. 3 'mixed'. 5 not-completes. 68%. I did a September check-in on the lis

My 2023 yard and garden to-do list had 25 items on it and with most 1 of the growing season behind us, I thought it would be helpful (for me!) to do a mid-season check-in.  How am I doing against my priorities?  What do I need to do before the season ends?  Let's run through the list and see how we're doing: 1.  Evergreens.  I wanted to plant more evergreens.  I've planted 19 evergreens so far this season:  five Boxwoods in front, a Columnar Scotch Pine tree in back and now 13 more Boxwoods in back.  I also transplanted a large Boxwood from the front-to-back.  So..20 evergreens including one transplant.  I'd say... Done .  2.  IB2DW Extension.   I wanted to extend the bed and add 'clustered evergreens' along with other things like grasses and annuals.  I haven't added anything, but I did amend the soil with biosolids and carved out some turf to extend the bed a little bit.  I'd say this is: Incomplete.   3.  Front porch bed.   I amended the bed with

While the calendar is now showing January 2023 and my focus in the yard and garden is on the year ahead, I still need to do a full and complete rundown of how I did out there in 2022.  I've done this a number of times over the years - posting an early draft in the Winter, a full list in the early Spring, typically a late-Summer/early Fall check-in and then...finally a 'season scorecard' at the end of the year.   This post is going to focus on those 'Season Scorecards'.   Here's my 2019 'Season Scorecard '.  12/17. 70% complete. Here's my 2020 'Season Scorecard' .   22 of 25 complete . 88%. Here's my 2021 'Season Scorecard '.   17.5 completes. 2 semi-completes. 5.5 not-completes. 70%. This is the final 'Season Scorecard' for 2022.    I completed an Early-Fall check-in on the list in September and at that time, I found: 6 in green . 24% complete. 12 in orange.  48% mixed or incomplete. 7 in red.   28% not started and no pro

The mornings are already cooler and smell different.  The days are getting shorter.  The Kentucky Bluegrass in our lawn is starting to bounce back and emerge from dormancy.  The kids are back in school.  That means that the growing season is entering the final stretch - Late Summer/Early Fall.  And, with the calendar turning over to September, I thought I'd do a quick check-in on how I have been doing against my 2022 yard and garden priorities .  We typically get our first frost sometime in mid-October , so that means we have six-or-so weeks left to get busy before putting the garden to bed.  Like I've done in the past, I started the year with a list of 25 items that I considered priorities .  The list serves as a guide and a check on what is most important to get done each year.   Let's see where we are as of September 1st, 2022.    I've done this late-season check-in before ( here's 2020's version ) and I think this is a good way to shortlist what *can* be don

For the past few years, I've tried to create an early-season yard and garden 'to-do list' that keeps me focused on completing some key tasks. I've also worked to keep score on those lists over the years to make sure there's some level of accountability involved. Starting in 2019, I had a short 10 item list and a 7 part addendum. The scorecard: 12 of 17 complete. 70.5% Last year, in 2020, I had 25 items on the list. The scorecard: 22 of 25 complete . 88%. This year, I had another 25 items on my list and with December, it seems like it is a good time to score my activities. How did I do? Here's my 2021 to-do list: 1. Planting Priority Area 1 in the backyard. Not done. Punted because of the fire pit area.   2. Planting Priority Area 2 in the backyard. Check. Way more than a simple, check though. Planted hostas , shaped the beds , Ghost Ferns , Brunnera , Ligularias, transplanted hostas and an Oakleaf Hydrangea and a Weeping Nootka Cypress tree as a

Earlier this year, I set out a Yard & Garden To-Do List and a To-Do List Addendum that outlined 17 (10 on original list, 7 on Addendum) tasks that I wanted to tackle.  With the month of October coming to a close, I think it is worth taking a look and scoring myself. So...how did I do?  7 of the 10.  Missed on the Belgian Fence, Angel Topiary and raised beds. The original ten items on the list : 1.  Improve the soil.  Check . And Check .  And Check . 2.  Plant a Belgian Fence.  Nope. 3.  Try metal frame topiary.  Kinda.  I tried pruning small shrubs for topiary or bonsai . 4.  Do the Angel topiary.  Nope. 5.  Plant a Yew hedge.  Yes! 6.  Move Automower Boundary wires.  Yes.  No more getting caught up under the trampoline. 7.  Prune the Linden Espalier.  Yes . 8.  Add conifers.  A couple of them .  And planted six tiny Canadian Hemlocks.  Lost one so far . 9.  Build and plant a raised bed vegetable garden.  Nope. 10.  Remember the 'path'.  Yes.  Behind