Well with my back going out on me last April I didn't get much done either. I did manage to get my DH to help me plant 2 Dogwoods with another partially dug and sitting in the partially dug hole. I got 3 roses in the ground. Dh managed to get most of the fence done with 2 rails left and one section left. This has greatly annoyed me. I mean come on hun, it will be a year this spring! If I could finish it myself trust me I would. Somehow he always finds something else to do!

So now spring is here in the south again and my back is still really bad. So I'm thinking not a whole lot will get done this year either. However I will probably hurt myself more trying. I just love to get outside and dig in the dirt and walk around the yard looking at the flowers and dreaming of the way I hope to someday have my yard/garden to look. Dh did till along one whole side of fence and I got some seeds in (hollyhocks, cosmos, bachelor buttons, german chamomile). I have 7 antique roses to plant. Oh ya, and we added a beautiful arbor swing for our anniversary present. So I guess you could say those were my first projects of the year. Many more to go though!!
Happy Gardening and Good Luck on All Your Garden Projects for 2008!!
Meghan

Hi all,

My main goal is to get my yard ready to host a Sept 13th wedding ! We have 3 dogs and it is a challenge keeping them out of the flowerbeds, and they have trashed the lawn with all of the snow/mud/etc. So, task #1 is to reseed the bare spots and get some grass going on the muddy areas. I have blocked off the biggest garden from the dogs with 4 ft high deer fencing, and need to get higher fencing for the other smaller island beds - that is task #2. I will have to buy many more flowers and grow some annuals from seed to match the wedding colors/theme (tropical elegance in raspberry, orange and lime). It will look a bit odd since my current plantings are very cottage garden, but I think the colors will still go with what I have. I will try to keep the tropical plants in planters to highlight them. So, task #3 is to continually plant and upgrade the plants in the yard to ensure there are some blooming on the wedding date. That will be the hardest, I think !! Wish me luck in my quest to keep a beautiful yard and gardens all the way through Sept !! Things always look ratty by then. Why couldn't she get married in June !?!?
Anyway, that's my project :)Sigh....

I have a dual project. Proj. 1 is to get my raised beds put together so that I can plant out my veggies & herb seedlings that are taking over the house. Proj. 2 is to completely re-do our circular bed in the back. I am sort of working on both of them as time permits.

Hi All, I'm new to the cottage garden forum, I've always been drawn to this style of gardening and since DH and I just bought our first house this winter I'm dying to get into the garden :) We have a pretty blank slate to start with, some evergreens, a few very established old trees and some hedges around the front of the house. the back yard gets full southern exposure so I should be able to do a lot with perennials and annuals there.
I know I want a hydrangea, lilac bush, and a butterfly bush. I have some annuals starting from seed right now in the sun room.
But basically the first order of business is to start layout some garden beds and getting some color established, just a few more weeks:)

Well my first project is to pull out the sod/weeds where the new pink garden is going to go, then add the soil ammendments. After the ammendments are dug in, I will let that settle for a short bit before planting.

Sierra

A paved walkway in my front garden. We have a half-moon shaped area between the driveway and the fence that's about 80' x 30' at it's widest points. The centerpiece is a 150 yo native pecan tree. Next to it and all along the curved sides I have lavender bushes. I also have an iron arbor and that's where the walkway begins. I'm using light gray pavers, and the walkway will curve around the inside of the garden beds. At the opposite end from the arbor is a little stone bench and a birdbath. I can see it in my head, but that walkway is taking FOREVER to lay. I think my first garden project for 2008 might be my only project for 2008. Cheryl

Well let's see, my project for this year is trying, I said TRYING to put my little cottage garden section into something that resembles what I have pictured in my mind.
Right now I have a boxed in section, one side a 6' Clematis covered fence, the other side the back of a 24' shed, needs paint (not going to do it) lets call it shabby sheik. The bottom of this little section is a Wisteria, clematis, covered pergola. The top end is where our little latticed walled pool room is. There is a gravel path in the middle of this which joins the pergola with the pool room. Think secret garden as it can't be viewed from the rest of the yard.
On the back of the shed we hung a lattice panel which I have one of those dark leafed ornamental grapes, on each end of this panel I had planted a rambling rose, one I really like 'Island Dawn' the other I have just dug out, too rambunctious. I'm going to put another 'Island Dawn' in. We have just added two more lattice panels on the shed for clematis. On the shed side of the path is my 20'x 8' Michaelmas Daisy bed, approx. 60 different varieties. On the other side of the gravel bed there are two beds (fence side) of mixed perennials. The plan for this year is to dig and replant the two smaller beds with more cottage type flowers (perennials) and add some annuals for that punch of color.
My dilemma is my daisy bed, I want to do a mix of things there but have to do it slowly I don't want to lose any of the varieties of M.D. as they were too hard to find sooo as I replace one with something else I have to find a spot somewhere else in the yard to plant the M.D's. It looks like this is going to be an ongoing project. I'll post pics IF I succeed. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it LOL.

Annette

Well...

Last year I put in a dry stack retaining wall myself. This was no small task but by fall I was 'done' with it.
Now its spring and I need to place a few random steps up the hill (nice affect and better traction!).
I am also needing to finish a stone retaining wall at the side of my house.

In all honesty I cannot wait to be done with the stones but I know I will be
happy with the hard work as I look at the finshed picture.

Here is what I did last year

Before

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During:
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After

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You can see two large stones about where I am thinking of addng steps. I want a few more up top just to complete the look.
Ill have to use rebar and concrete but I think they will look great with perennials spilling all around them.

I am hoping to get on this during spring break week.
I hope the weather is good.

:o)

Ronda

Gardening in zone 9 means planning projects in December and planting in late January. I have a number of projects planned, some of which I'll have to hire my gardener to do (shrubs too big for me to move by myself). It's the ever-popular "garden hopscotch" style of gardening - you know how these cottage beds refuse to grow up to be a perfect recreation of our mind's eye! (You'd think with all the work we put in, they'd behave better, LOL)

The smaller projects I'm already starting. The first one, a west-facing exposure, is finished and showing promise. My fingers are crossed that this summer it will look the way I wanted. Here it is in Dec 2007: not bad, but note the "valley" in the middle and front. I had just ripped out the helichrysum and divided one of the dwarf agapanthus to start the redo.
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Here's the bed a few days ago. Most of the fullness is coming from annuals - nasturtiums and CA poppies. By summer they'll be long gone. Behind those dark red kangaroo paw flowers is a modest-sized Artemisia 'Powis Castle' that I hope will grow to be a good backdrop for all its neighbors. The purple osteospermum reseeded itself from across the sidewalk, but I liked where it landed so I left it.

New plants here include a lavender, yellow chrysanthemum, purple bearded iris, variegated agapanthus, and the little red kalanchoe in the very front of the bed. All of these plants are evergreen, as the front yard has to look good all year 'round, whether cold and wet or dry and hot. We get no rain at all during the summer, so the bed is watered by soaker hoses every 2 weeks. A lot of plants don't make it under these conditions, so I seem to always be "tweaking" the plantings!
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Everyone is so busy!! Here is wishing all of us enough time and energy to finish all of our projects.

My first task is to prepare the beds on the side of our house. Currently we have a TON of stones there left by the previous owners. That was their idea of landscaping. Those need to be removed, then I have to turn and amend the soil, yadda yadda. The other side of the driveway is grass and I'd like to start a small garden there, much to DH's dismay. Lasagna time!

I have a million other projects in mind, but those I need to tackle first.

Tracy

I'm going to do projects that look just like Ronda's and JKom's. I wish!

Actually, I have two small beds that need daylilies added from another bed and maybe from the Daylily show and sale next month.

My ongoing daily project is stick patrol for fallen limbs, weeds pulled by the hands full as I tour, hand watering new plants until it rains, seeding bare spots with annuals, moving volunteers from the paths, pruning stragglers, spreading compost and mulch, planning and journaling by pen and paper as well as photo records and blog.

Here is a link that might be useful: Secrets of a Seed Scatterer

Dog-proofing my garden. I have to move my bleeding heart from the back yard to the front where the dog can't get at it. I also need to figure out what to do with the rest of my garden. So much of it is poisonous to dogs and my dog is still pretty young so he's still quite a chewer. I'm not sure if I'm going to move it all around or just put in a fence to contain the dog and keep him away from all the plants until he's a little older and less likely to eat them.

The first gardening chore of 2008, besides some seed starting was to clear out the trees, lol!!

GGG

GGG, I'm sure you've been working hard on your new garden - I will look forward to any photos you post this year. I always love your imagination and plantings!

New puppy Memo???

Great projects, folks!! I sympathize with you all! My gardening resolution is to finish up the whacking back of the overgrown bushes on our corner property (there are LOTS of bushes!!!), and then somehow stay on top of it and NEVER let it get out of control again!!! Of course, this project is mainly DH's, who wasn't up to it physically last year but is fiercely playing catch up now (and I'm the helper). Slowly, but surely...

Don't overdo it folks! Remember, the snail won the race.

Becky

but the TORTOISE won the race! duh

Current Projects - Spring 2008

* Take down the field fence around the kitchen garden (Potager) and cut down the Trumpet vine I had shaped into an umbrella tree. (It was a nuisance - made LOTS of babies!) (DONE)
* Replacing that 4 ft. fence with short, movable fencing, which is all I need to keep out armadillos. (Nearly done)
* Move the last 2 roses from the old rose garden to the new location by patio out back. (Done)
* Plant a Blue Skyrocket Juniper out in the center of the old rose garden where my white Aquarius statue stands. (Done)
It looks a bit of all right, I must say! This will be the new "White Garden" if I can get rid of that blasted Bermuda and various, pesky wild grasses that take over that garden EVERY year. (Seeds blow down and wash down from the cow pasture higher up on the ridge)
* I am currently in the process of Re-designing (on paper) my Cottage Garden flowerbeds.
* I MUST continue cutting up the broken down & broken off tree tops and limbs from "The Great Ice Storm" that we had in December. It still looks like a war zone in the hardest hit areas!
[I need one of those city-owned wood chippers - then I would have a year's supply (or two) of wood chips for my garden paths and to mulch around trees and shrubs.]

After this, who knows what I will do!!!

sweetannie4u

mine is going to be to melt the snow then dry up the mud, then I'll wait for the roses and other goodies to show up and decide where to put them. :)

In the mean time there is spring vacation to go on and more shopping.

Looking forward to seeing the pics of everyone's projects.

karyn

I'm impressed! This is going to be a busy spring for everyone.

Memo - Don't fret about the grass seed. I don't know about your zone, but here in Zone 7 coastal NJ, the best time to overseed or renovate a lawn is the fall. So, check with your local extension service and if fall's good for your region, then you can let it go and move something else to the top of the list.

Threedogsmom - Congratulations on the wedding. I'm sure it will be lovely. There are plenty of perennials, as well as loads of annuals that will fill the bill. Don't forget plants with colorful foliage!

Craftlady - Congratulations on the new house, and much happiness to you in it. You're going to have a great time developing that "blank slate". You mentioned your yard is full sun and that you want a hydrangea; most of these will do best with at lest afternoon shade, though there are a few varieties adaptable to full sun. You'll want to choose the right variety for the location so you're not disappointed.

Ronda - You've done a beautiful job on that retaining wall; what a difference it makes! Having set the stones around my koi pond as well as for a patio and front walk, I know what backbreaking work it is. Rewarding, though, isn't it?

My first project for 2008 is done: Loosen the soil in the raised bed veggie garden, wet thoroughly and cover with clear plastic to solarize the soil. I had a terrible time with disease in the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants last year. The garden's way too small (4x16) to allow me to rotate crops, so I'm hoping this will work.

Last September, the removal of two huge chestnut oaks in the front yard resulted in a complete front yard makeover. Shrubs, perennials, roses, bulbs all got moved around ... after the distribution of 6 cubic yards of mushroom compost in the beds. By the time I was wrapping it up, I was really stretched too thin, and many things wound up, well, where they wound up. Most things were potted up for the project, and I confess I didn't label all the daylilies, figuring I'd remember which ones I'd placed by the patio, which by the fence, and so on ... Well, you know what happened: I forgot, and some got moved ... so it's going to be a real surprise this summer. I'll be paying special attention through the spring and summer to see how it all works out and will make notes as to what adjustments to make in the autumn. A 'Heritage' river birch was planted to replace one oak, and I'm looking for something to replace the other ... really like amelanchier, Sweet Bay Magnolia and the Dutch elm disease-resistant American elm 'Princeton'.

Sounds like we all should invest in a good stock of epsom salts ... some for the plants, and some for ourselves!

Diane

Uh, jkom51 - have you seen the thread in the conversations side?
It won't be this year you will be seeing photos of the "new" garden, that is for sure, lol!! I have a LOT of starting over to do.
Last years "new" garden is now gone. We're now going to be working on about 3/4 of an acre from scratch. Well, probably a notch below scratch!!

GGG

I'll be dogproofing as well, but my dog isn't a chewer. She's a sitter. A squasher, more like. She'll go and lie down or sit on new baby plants and just kill them flat :) I know she's looking for shade, but my goodness it is frustrating.

Also, I'll need to move 3 large and established Spirea bushes out of the newest garden area and into their new spot. Couldn't do it last year as they were constructing our road. These Spirea are almost 20 years old I believe, and that should be quite the task!

I'm mostly rearranging and shovel pruning first due to the drought casualties and/or vignettes that need improving.

I'm going to try very hard to NOT bring home anything new until I've finished rearranging what I've got. I've already divided nepeta, moved shrubs and transplanted ornamental grass babies.

The wild onions want to take over! We pull a few almost everytime we go out in the garden.

Won By Her Wits (Charm) has already started her daily garden promenade with me. Our sweet greyhound stays on the stepping stones! When we cross the flower garden where there are no stones, she's very careful not to step on any flower! Sweet garden dog! LOL

When I'm ready to plant again, I'm going to continue filling in with friendly groundcovers that allow plants to come through, but help retain moisture in the soil.

When it comes to annuals, I'm going to stick with tried-and-true snapdragons. The ones I planted last year are actually perennials this year since we had a mild winter. They took the drought without watering, too.

We created an outdoor shower area last fall and DS2 and I already have it mulched and stepping stones placed. I'm going to divide and move some butterfly ginger to the area. If I have enough colocasia, I'll divide and transplant around the shower, too. I want it to have a tropical feel.

I look forward to seeing all the new garden photos from each of you as the growing season progresses!

Cameron

Great post, this was fun to read, especially because it is still brown and ugly here...thinking about everyones spring projects and energy is a nice focus. This morning, it is sleeting.

My first project besides cleaning up winter mess, will prolly to put up about 8 sections of picket fence to close off my back yard from my neighbors. I already have picket fence in other locations, but not on the property line. Should be a easy project. Except I will also then add another flower bed...imagine that? :) More potential, more spaces to plant... Then I will move on to adding several feet to my patio and some stepping stones. We decided we are tired of the mudding feet all winter even tho I love the grass path in the spring, summer and early fall.

Sounds like everyone will be busy, as always, in the yard real soon.

I did some cleanup already, not to mention a ton of winter sowing.Was very successful so far with that. Have quite a bit of perennials poking their heads up from the seed mix.

The big project is replacing a cinder block retaining wall with a modular block retaining wall.

First thing is to paint the fence. Can even roll it one-just getting it started. Also spray painting more plastic container with krylon paint. Did some last year worked great. And DIVIDE more plants. Find someone who need some.

koszta kid, are you located in the Mo. Valley-Logan-Honey Creek area? I saw in another post that you mentioned having Honey Creek along your property. I have some good friends just outside Logan. Just curious, it's a small world.

MeMo

Hi! I am new to the forum. I am so envious of those of you who are out gardening already! We just received an inch of snow today!

Last weekend I finished the fall raking and built my compost bins. I tried turning my compost pile to move it into the bins but it was too frozen to budge. But I did spy some wonderful, rich compost on the bottom. I can't wait to dig it into my vegetable gardens!

Last year I planted hundreds of perennials (hollyhocks, daisies, veronica, peonies... the usual cottage garden plants!) and spring bulbs, which are just now peeking out of the soil. This year I am going to incorporate some edibles into my landscaping. I am going to plant blueberries instead of flowering bushes in front of the front porch and I am building 9 raised beds to grow some vegetables. I am also going to grow some grapes up my arbor and plant more raspberries and currants.

I am hoping to plant some roses this year, but I am nervous about it. I am afraid I'll kill it the day I plant it!

Pear Blossom, If you're nervous about roses, start with the easy ones. Knock Outs. They grow to a good size very quickly, and they bloom off and on most of the summer. They will help you grow your confidence with them.

MeMo

Weed and Mulch! Then I am going to my local extension office plant sale to buy more plants!

Also, I need to quit buying just pretty perennials and add more evergreen things to the garden. I am planning on putting in a few evergreen trees on the back fence, and tucking some more evergreen items into the mixed shrub / perennial beds. The whole effect is a little to frothy/mushy right now.

Memo no I'm in Iowa . West of the Amana Colonies. Right now snowing pretty well here. Might even have to sweep walk at church.

my first project is to install garden lighting - i have doing a bit of research during the winter lull - the time is now - wish me luck

mr toad

This week, we had our back lot (about 1/3 of an acre) scraped and had the trash, weeds, fallen trees, etc. hauled away. As soon as the guys come back, they're leveling and bringing in a few truckloads of topsoil. When that's done, hubby and I are putting up fencing (feed-lot panels in the back, picket fence in the front), creating flower beds,and seeding some strips of lawn. My plans are to have climbing roses and clematis on all of the back fence (nice thorny roses to keep the rental people out - we're surrounded on three sides by rentals, some of whom don't know the meaning of private property).

We've already started!! We've weeded all the weeds the winter rains brought on,i've dug up,moved and disposed of some things i no longer want.Dh and i planted seeds and he planted some new bougainvillas,and strawberries,dahlias.and other things.
kathi

We need to do some extension to the house and redo a part of the sidewalk around it - a major project we would love to carry out this Summer, but which is still uncertain. If we do that, I will take the chance to redo a section of the back garden with which I'm not pleased. If not, I will skip major projects in the garden this year and simply concentrate on maintaining what I already have got.

Eduarda

my main project would be my shade garden. the lasagna beds need to be done. i am laying the cardboard. i just need the compost. i've got lots of little baby hostas and primroses and other things waiting for beds. i also need to enlarge my veggie beds. i've got 3-4 kinds of popcorn to try besides the reg corn. also lots of new gourds. the list goes on.....
tanya

You ALL inspire me and I get the best ideas and information on here. In the words of Mr. Rogers,
"Thank you for being just you".

May God bless you with loads of rich compost, warm sunshine, and ample rainfall!

sweetannie4u

You all sound like a busy and ambitous bunch. I'm planning on a garden for my 3 year old granddaughter. I have already moved in the playhouse that my grandpa made for me as a child. It needs lots of work as its over 40 years old. I placed the garden behind a row of blue spruces to give a Secret Garden feel to it. Since this was a former weedy area, I will probably cover the area with cardboard and mulch. It is a fairly large area, so it will have to be an ongoing project. I've been picking up different animal garden art to add to it. I'm also thinking of square pavers for a hopscotch area, a sandbox, a bell, a curbside find picket fence, a small bench and a small birdbath. I'd love suggestions that you might have. Here's a picture of the area:
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ronda, that stonework is beautiful! What an ambitious project you have set for yourself!

GGG, no, I'm sorry, I never go to the Conversations side so I didn't realize you were starting all over on your new property. Wow, 3/4 of an acre, you'll be able to do all kinds of stuff with so much land. I'm sure you'll do a beautiful job, you always do.

Here's my second project, looking rather pathetic right now but hopefully in a couple of months will be quite different (gardeners are always an optimistic bunch, aren't we?).

In June 2007 this very narrow (12" wide only) bed looked pretty good. The silver-leafed plectranthus had spread nicely and was a great contrast against the dark wood fence. Above it towers an oleander standard and an abutilon 'Nabob'.
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But it went rapidly downhill - got scraggly and lanky, quite unattractive. And the cannas were totally wrong for that bed. So I ripped it all out, and replanted. The baby plants look quite lonely, though!
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At the uphill end I put in a white calla, a few purple bearded iris of which I have way too many, some evergreen Iberis (candytuft) and a yellow heuchera with pink flowers whose name escapes me at the moment. That leaning trunk is the white-flowering 'Sister Mary Agnes' oleander trained as a standard. It makes a great small tree - I just wish I'd staked it better, LOL. The trunk next to the post is the abutilon 'Nabob'.

On the downside where the plectranthus reigned supreme, I have put in a tiny baby - you can barely make it out in the photo - of a terribly rampant fern. This is one of the few places I WANT invasive, so I hope it takes off! Next to it, an Oxalis siliquosa 'Copper Sunset' was struggling and will hopefully spread around once more. An Artemisia 'Limelight' - another invasive (this area is completely surrounded by concrete, BTW) has been planted to brighten up the fence area in a way the dark-leafed canna could not do. Then a few more bearded iris rhizomes to form a nice colony.

I've got my fingers crossed that this comes out the way I envision it....but it's awfully hard to hold the trowel that way, hee hee.

Hello All!!! Well, I guess the gorgeous fusia geranium I potted today doesn't count as a real "project" huh? :) My first real "project" for 2008 is honestly to clean up my mom's yard and make her house the bell of the ball once again. I got into gardening while I was living with her and I was ALWAYS planting something. I became known as "the girl who stays at the house with all the pretty flowers". Because many of my potted plants were gifts and sentimental to me, when I moved out I took them all with me and left her the plants that were in the bed. She didn't mind because it's not really her "thing" to mess with she just likes the reward of it all. Well, now the yard looks bad and so I vowed to get it together before my spring break is over with b/c I'm also a teacher. So, with all that said, that is my first garden project for 2008.....to make Mom's garden shine once again! :)

Michelle, the secret garden for your grand child will be a wonderful project. Sounds like you have everything covered! I was enchanted with a pumpkin vine, when I was a kid. I think some produce plants would be fun for the little girl. Wouldn't she be delighted if she could pick a few strawberries?

Lorna

First project of clearing out beds and cuttings perennials is done.
Next in line: trim hedgerow-repair birdhouses-trim roses-stake young tree that dog whacks into when trying to get at neighbor's dog-install new outdoor walkway lights-add fresh mulch to front gardens-add compost to perennial gardens-harden off seedlings and plant-move tropicals outside-remove English ivy from under back shrubs-kill bittersweet vine by any available method-redesign herb and tomato garden and plant accordingly-go to store and buy lantana for pots outside and leave with nothing else!

Weed. Weed, weed weed.

Fix the ugly fence next to the road in my back yard.

Then plant an Oak.

Besides some winter sowing, dig out all the landscaping stone so I can have a garden. We moved last November and are now renting a place that has been vacant for three years. I will be heading back to PA in May to get some of my plants so I really need to have a place to put them.

Ok, well I'm back again just to tell you all that I finished my mom's yard. Now I know to some of you with extreme projects this may not seem like much, but it took me FOUR HOURS to weed out two beds that were around trees and two beds in front of the house. ~SIGHS~ I didn't even know it was possible to feel hamstrings the way I'm feeling mine. I worked the heck out of that shovel!!! This was done Friday last week and today is Monday and I'm still walking like I've been riding horses all day! LOL Anyway, just thought I'd share that with all of you.

Oh! Yesterday my Garden Buddy and I decided to do a "Friendship Mixed Pot". We both got a geranium and a vinca vine with an annual as well. Well, I got two perennials (are begonias perennials?). Anyway this was another little project of mine and I'm very proud of it....MY FIRST MIXED POT.....hope you all like it. It's a red geranium in the middle with white begonias around it and the vinca in the front kinda spread out. I'm in love with it!!!

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This is a top view of it....

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I finally did my first lunchtime walk around the yard of the season, yay! Plus, the first bloom sighting of the year - a snowdrop, naturally. But, that resolved me that the 1st garden task (not sure if it qualifies as a project) is to cut back the perennials I left up over the winter. :)

My major projects for the year will be the second major border in the back, hopefully including an arbor, another veggie box, and maybe the front yard foundation plantings. Ds wants an apple tree or two, but I'd like to wait another year on that. I also really want a whole lot of other things, like a new shed, new fence, swingset/play structure, rain barrel, do something to disguise the sump drain...but those may or may not happen...

Michelle i think your secret garden sounds need. Coming up your way. So I can see my Grand-kids. . I have showed your Potting shed to my Dh. Giving him a hint.

Memo,
I don't know if you remember my hideous patio behind my house? Well, I'm going to buy lumber and my father is going to make a deck! He has built a couple on his property down in Florida, so he has it down to a science, lol. I'm so excited to fix my horrible eyesore!
Remy

I do indeed remember your patio, and your gorgeous flowers, Remy! I never did hear who won that contest. I thought they would announce it in their newsletter but if they did, I missed it.

A deck over the patio sounds very nice. You'll be able to put potted plants around the edges to make it stand out in your garden. I suggest putting the pots on risers though so the moisture under the pots doesn't rot the decking material. A little Bistro table and chair set would be wonderful too. You'll need some where to set your ice water while you're working ;) I'm very excited for you! Don't forget to take pictures, before and after.

MeMo

I love that narrow walkway! How crammed with delicious things it is jkom51!
I did some clean up the other day - mostly on the veggie side and tomorrow is a big work day for me cleaning up the green and purple house side of things here. Dig, divide, get rid of..
I planted some of the entrance stair pots up. Since I work at a garden center, my plants are at cost so I can fill them to the brim! We ordered quite a few different types of rosemaries, lavenders and loads of green and purple combos :)
Next order is my mulch, pea gravel, garden ammendments, load and a black rainbarrel for the front stairs area (the white is a little too bright there!!). Another great thing, I can order supplies I want if they are in our system, get them trucked into the store and then load them right into our pickup trucks and deliver them to my own home :)

GGG

Hi all and WELCOME SPRING! It is so beautiful here in East TN. Flowers and trees are blooming and the leaves are all coming out. Wonderful!
My first project is to clean out unwanted leaves and weeds that have creeped in over the winter. We didn't have much cold weather and I didn't stay on top of my three small beds.....I want to get to planting my flower seeds soon. I've got some lettuce going in the veggie garden. I did find tulip plants at the Wal-box store a couple of weeks ago, 60 cents each. They were about 3" tall, they are now blooming and look wonderful..Hoping they will come back next year. Love reading all the great posts....see a lot of familiar names from last spring/summer....good to see.