I can definitely relate to feeling overwhelmed - I worked fulltime while going to school fulltime to earn a masters degree, and I had a two year old kid and a huge garden.

Here is my advice to you...chunk it down. Make a list of everything that needs to get done. put numbers next to each item to indicate priority - 1 (has to get done no matter what), to 3 (wouldn't really be the end of the world if I never get to it). It should take you about 10 minutes, and I guarantee you that simply making a list will make you feel better.

Then make it a goal to do one thing on the list - today, by wednesday, by the end of the week - whatever makes sense to you and whatever seems doable - the important thing is to set small achievable goals. Then tell somebody what your goal is - your husband maybe - tell him "I am going to get those pots put away (or maybe get half of the pots put away) before the end of the day on Thursday". Telling somebody else makes you accountable to somebody besides yourself, which can be very effective.

Then just go through the list - one small thing at a time. I do it this way when I get stressed, and it's amazing how much easier it seems to get it all done (or at least the important stuff) when I have a system for doing it.

Good luck. You can do this...just breathe...then make that list!

Keep us posted on your progress. See! Now you're accountable to us for doing something!

So where's DH in this list of things that need to be accomplished?? Prioritizing is great, but sometimes all you need is an extra set of hands for a couple of hours to get things going. If DH is complaining about the bags of leaves, ask him to help you spread them!

Or is he the type - like my ex was - that is very good at complaining that things aren't getting done (I was in school and working fulltime as well) but never manages to get his butt off the couch and away from the TV?

Deb - thanks for the tips!

Re DH: He does a lot! Today he stacked all the firewood that was delivered yesterday plus he cleaned up the fallen leaves off the lawn front and back and bagged them for me to use as mulch, and all that was before leaving for work in the afternoon. He does the laundry every week (except my "good" clothes, I won't let him touch that stuff LOL!) and he cooks for himself when needed AND cleans up his mess. He's a keeper :)

Sometimes it is just perspective. I keep thinking that I am so late getting fall cleanup done. Maybe it was the 70 degree day we had at the start of the week and then plummeting into the 30s. I think I should have gotten everything done before it got cold. Looking through old records I see that we were still raking leaves as late as Thanksgiving other years. Yesterday I cleaned up the last of the leaves (I hope) and DH mowed the lawn. It looks so neat today, unusally green for this time of the year.

Since we are having the house resided soon I am trying to get all the beds around the house cut back and mulched well to survive the tromping they will get. Other years I leave much of that until spring.

Still have some things that may or may not get cut back. Have bags of mulch ready to spread. Need to corral and add leaves to some plants to help protect from nibbling creatures. If these things don't get done, it's no biggy as all will survive.

So, yes, prioritize and elimate those items that don't NEED to be done. And remember that next year you might have more time to do what you WANT done.

It doesn't take long to empty a bag of two of leaves to mulch. Maybe you can take a few minutes each day until they are all spread.

Move those pots into the garage to keep them from freezing and do one at a time if necessary. Pop those potted perennials (in the pots) into the ground or move them to the east side of the house and pile some of those bagged leaves around and on top of them. Mine survive that way here in z:4 so expect yours would also. Or put them in a cardboard box with crushed newspapers and leave them in your unheated garage.

All in all, do what you can and let the rest go. There's always next year.

Except for removing pottery and decorations I do very little around the garden in the fall. I have several huge oaks so plenty of leaves falls down. I do not shred leaves, just leave them be on the flower beds, remove leaves from walking path and bag them into compost bin. I also do not cut down perennials except if I know there was some health problem with foliage then it is going out.
Sure I have much more clean up to be done come spring but OTOH- spring is time away and I can prepare for that.

I think the advice to do what you can without putting MORE pressure on you than there already is is wise. I've been feeling like you do this fall which is largely because our weather has been so mild. I've felt like I have time to draw out the winter prep process so I have. Procrastination reigns:(

One thing I did to help myself was hire the local yard maintenance crew to clean up all the leaves. The yard was so leafy, I just didn't know where to start and my husband was out of town. I don't mind admitting I didn't want to do it by myself. That helped a lot as it took a big weight off of me.

Your husband sounds great but busy like you. Maybe you have some agreeable teenagers in the neighborhood you could hire? My Dh helped me for the first time this fall yesterday and it was a major help. All those things I did not have to do myself made a big difference. I know that isn't always possible though so if a friend has a teenager who might like to make a couple of dollars helping you perhaps that's an option.

You'll get it done, just a question of when. By all means cut yourself some slack as your plate seems plenty full already.

Kate

I know what you mean! I haven't planted my bulbs yet, but we already have snow on the ground and there's no sign of it letting up. Yikes! Why did the snow come so early this year?

I found found time to spread leaves on the garden this year, never had spread leaves before. The next day we had a fierce windstorm an every single shred was blown out of the garden. Actually, blown out of the yard because I couldn't find any of them afterwards. I wish the windbreak would grow faster!

Wow, that was some wind. Having grown up in SD I am familiar with those winds. Perhaps that's why I wet the shredded leaves after spreading, just in case, though probably wouldn't need to do that here.

Well, Michele, I could certainly relate until about one hour ago. We had a nasty storm (wet snow) here on Wednesday which crippled the roads. I was glad there wasn't too much snow since I still had to finish some things.

While coming home after work late this afternoon I was reminded that we were going to have a storm tonight with 2 feet of blowing snow. In one hour I mulched two big holding beds with shredded leaves, established a pot ghetto and threw leaves on those, covered the compost piles, moved 40+ bags of shredded leaves under the veranda, found all tools possible and placed them in the shed, staked and marked four new garden areas, and cleared the outside potting area of tens of pots and several utensils. I've probably forgotten a few things done, but just seeing this list is exhausting.

Nothing like a pending snowstorm to get things done!!