You do have big plans for this year! I'll really be looking forward to seeing your before and after photos of your yard as it sure sounds like it'll be gorgeous once you're done.

I don't have any huge plans for this year, as last year I put in two new beds and have some room left for planting in them this year. But with the amazing talents of all the enablers we have in here, I may end up having to either enlarge an existing bed or figure out where I can start a new bed if I end up with too many plants. I know, it's a terrible dilema isn't it?!lol

I'm not sure, but DH may decide that this is the summer to re-do the deck. The former owners had just use plywood as a floor and covered it with carpeting, so predictably it's starting to rot underneath. So if that happens, I may have to move some of the plants that are around it somewhere.

We've done so much to this property in the last 11 years that we're looking forward to a bit of a break and be able to relax and enjoy what we've accomplished, so my biggest plan for this year is to sit by the pond and enjoy a margarita! ;^)

Laurie

We had a thread like this last year too. My goal then was mostly upkeep because my yard was on the garden tour. After that was done, i really didn't do a heck of a lot - just relaxed, mostly.

In the fall, i started the lasagne process for a good-sized addition to one bed. As soon as the snow goes, i'll be finishing that off, covering it with plastic to speed up the cooking process and then planting it, possibly by July. Maybe the deck that dh decided to build in front of the porch will become a reality this spring, but i'm not holding my breath. Same for the greenhouse that has been promised for years.

There is at least one thing that i really want to try, though. I've completed the foundation gardens behind the house, but the ground there has a bit of a natural slope and i'd like to dig it out a bit in one spot to create a terrace. If that works out, i'll slowly continue the terrace across the back of the house. Could take a couple of years, depending on things like time and energy level! :)

There are other things i have in mind, but they're just small things - more perennials around my tiny pond, planting up the area between my two white beds, possibly a fence along side the driveway.

Now, DIY, the rule is that we have to revisit this thread in the fall to see what we've actually done! It's fun to see before and after pictures - will have to remember to take them! LOL

Here youÂre cutting down Spruce diymadness and I want as many as I can get!

Well first thing is first and itÂs a priority on my list. IÂll be transplanting all those tree seedlings out to their permanent spots on the acreage early spring; I also have some on order. I'll be getting at her as soon as the snow melts and when the ground is thawed. I have soooo many to move that I need to take advantage of every bit of moisture at this precious time.

Next project is to finish off the north side shade bed that I started last year. I also need to dig the "hole" for the big pond project that has been in my dreams for the last 7 years, yikes I'm not looking forward to the labor thou! IÂll most likely get DH to start off the hole with his tractor bucket and then perhaps if the price is right hire a bobcat for the day to round out the edges and then finish off by hand.

Then as some of you know, the field project that I started last year too, I'm jotting on paper figuring how on want the rows of Iris, Lilies, Daylilies, Dahlias, Peonies and Roses to go, I also want to plant some kind of hedge on the sides to break the strong winds.

DH project is to get the deck finished and to buy a new garage door, I've told him that already ;)

Best wishes on everybodyÂs projects!

Sharon

Well, I got a lot done last year when I moved the rose garden to the front yard. Had to build two retaining walls and a small patio in the front yard but it turned out really well. This year I want to expand the patio in the "secret garden" so that I can put a swing on it as it is too small right now. I think that I am going to put an eighteen inch mozaic around it to increase the size. Of course that means that I will have to transplant all the lilies that I planted last year after the lily show. It should be fun designing the mozaic, I haven't tried anything like that before. I also want to improve the look of the greenhouse by planting some tall perennials around it in a new bed. I'm thinking hollyhocks or sunflowers with grasses in front to hide the bottoms. Of course, that is just the beginning of the list! So happy to be thinking about gardening again.
Penny

I've given up trying to plan what will get done. I looked back on a thread that we did 2 years ago and we still don't have much done that was on that list. DH did get the second part of the deck done last year but it still needs stairs, and planters on either side of the stairs, built. But, we've still got the shed, the firepit, my greenhouse, a trailer pad . . . the list is always going to be endless, I think. And I'm tinkering with the idea of putting some sort of pergola over the deck. I'm sure that is going to go well. "Why didn't you say something BEFORE I built the deck?" I can just hear it now. : )

Even when I was talking about doing shrubs along the length of the driveway, DH said that he has other ideas involving a retaining wall in the front yard. I give up planning on my own. For us, it's better to take a walk through the yard and decide together what we are going to do that year. Makes for a happier marriage, I guess.

Shauna

Hi Everyone,

I'm always dreaming about new projects in my yard. Last year we took it really easy after the big boulder retaining wall adventure (DH says with the increase in house prices I've managed to pay for the relandscaping of the yard. Whew!!!) This year I want to put a pergola walkway with lattice partitions to the front door. It's a bake oven there now in the afternoon and I can just see the pattern of leaves dappled on the huge expanse of garage wall. I'd also like to experiment with concrete paint to make the sidewalk look similar to the cobblestone pad the previous owners put in beside the driveway, or remove the pad and expand the front garden. Hmmm, then I could use the stones for my courtyard which I need to even out.

I've also got to amend the soil in half of my back woodland garden as DH wouldn't listen to me when we were building it. So now I have to do it by hand. Think I'll make him help.

I've got some more 'twigs' coming this spring so want to get them in, to 'complete' (ya right, as if it will ever be) my woodland garden and edge the low deck with shrubs and perennials, but mostly I hope to be helping other people create fabulous gardens with my part-time business, then coming home to my deck and loving and dreaming more in my own garden.

Kate

I have a few areas of the garden that really need to be focused on this year. One of them is a very shady spot -- but DS keeps dragging his hockey nets over it when he goes to play with the neighbour kids... GRRRRR! Soooo, I'm trying to think of something that will help guide him over/around one corner in particular! Never mind finding the right/tough plants that can handle abuse and do OK in the shade.

I'm also thinking of some "garden junk" type projects. I have a few things that I found last year but haven't done anything with yet.

DH is going to take down the swingset which equals more backyard space! LOL I need some more containers and such back there to "dress it up" a bit more... the kids play back there alot but I'm sure I can come up with a "kid friendly" plan!

Not super huge projects but if I actually get them all done I'll be happy. 8^)

Ang

Its always inspiring listening to everyone's garden plans! It seems to give me energy to tackle more! Well, at the moment anyways...

My most important project this spring is to get the garden fence up. We got the posts in last fall and I have some of the lumber sitting here, so as soon as the snow drops enough that I don't need snowshoes (HA!) I think I'll start that.

My garden space is only a couple years old so I am still planting the beds I have started and amending the soil. I'd like to get the pathways covered with something this year...maybe bark for most of it, then some done with flagstone interplanted with different Thymes.

And the bonus project which may or may not happen is to work on the south side of the house which is currently dominated by dogs! I was thinking of making a raised bed and grow mostly annuals and some herbs with a shrub or two. It really catches the heat but the freeze/thaw cycle is quite severe so I'm not sure I want a perennial bed there...we'll see. It'll be perfect for experimenting. It might be a better spot to grow tomatoes than in the garden...hmmmm.

I'm not really sure what my projects are... I guess I have to figure out what parts of my new yard get the most sun, and dig a couple of new beds. I have to decide if I'm putting in any vegetables, and if so where. I might build a couple of raised beds in the dog area. But last year I didn't get any peas because the dogs figured out where peas come from. Grrrr.

Also my sidestreet has no sidewalk on my side, just 140' x 20' of grass, and I have a cotoneaster hedge that goes all the way along. I would like to get permission from the city to garden at least part of the boulevard, as it is in full sun with no trees. I'm pretty sure they will let me on the condition that the garden can be moved if they need the boulevard for something. So if I just plant herbaceous perennials and annuals it might be ok.

I also really need to paint the outside of my house, it has house leprosy. Not that that is really garden related but it's the big project this spring.

Projects projects projects! They are always staring at me! here I want to get the perennials up to size in the new beds! Oh new beds-- yeah, a "strip" along each side of the front walk neeeds to be built, dh is planning on bordering the entire lot. I also want to redo the back alley, since I'm finding too much grass and not enough flower! We are bordering the veggie garden, which I need to rotate this year. I need to redo the path through my largest flower bed, since i decided I didn't like it last year. At least, this year it's going to be small- no more than a week at a stretch- vacations so I don't get too behind the weeds!
Inside, we need to put linoleum or something down in the sunroom and start planning the kitchen remodel. I still want that bathroom in the basement too! Oh yeah, the basement needs painted and maybe some flooring. Whew!
Although I wonder if I'll get anything done. My son has two surgeries for his implant hearing aid this spring and summer, which is a four hour one way trip away. I will actually be working part time part of this summer, as well as finishing another 11 graduate credits before september! Oh well, I have 5 kids who always want money, so I can get them to help haul rocks and pull weeds again! Two of them want a driver's license too, so they BETTER help!
So, to answer questions, yep, I'm as delusional as anybody else!

Oh I wanted to mention- the boulevard. I talked to what seemed like 30 people before I figured out that they wouldn't really notice! I turned mine into a rock garden with allysum for a year, and now I need to finish that with more perennials.

Anyway, I was going to say that my restrictions were no paving, no complete rocking over, and less than 2 ft tall. Check your local departments for information- I even had to call the city forester here because I had only one tree instead of two (I'm on a corner, so I was exempt from having to put in another bland, nonproducing tree!)

Ang, I'll just mention that Lady's Mantle really takes a beating and seems to look good anyway. I have several in an area in the front side yard where I tie Misty up when she's in the front with me. Of course she wraps the long leash around it and walks thru it, yet it never seems to look worse for wear. It gets morning and late afternoon sun but otherwise, full shade.

My only project is to fix up the area for the trailer, which shouldn't be too much work - border it and order and spread some crushed rock. It's way in the back in the usually kind of messy work area that no one ever sees. I had some other plans but I think I may be busy with some other life issues this summer so I'm going to put them on hold for another year. I have an old and curmodgeony aunt who needs help selling her home and moving to some senior housing, among other things. Other family members have tried and failed so I guess it's my turn at bat. She's my dad's sister and is just lost since dad passed. Apparently (I'm told) I'm a lot like my dad (yikes) so maybe we'll manage to get thru this. She says she'll move in June - the height of gardening season. (someone pass the tylenol, please).

My plan this summer is to sit back and enjoy the projects we completed over the last 4 summers...new front courtyard last year, walkway and outdoor sitting areas the year before and expanded flower beds all 4 years.
So this year, not much is planned other than maybe a few new rosebushes and whatever else jumps out at me and follows me home from the nurseries :-)
On the other hand, 'unplanned projects' seem to take on a life of their own, so who knows what will have happened by the end of the summer!

Margaret

I'd really love to finish off a couple of projects this year. DH has been promising me a ground level patio for 4 years. Last year I suggested maybe just putting an edge in and gravelling the area. Maybe I'll get lucky this summer. I'd also love to get my boys' pond project finished. They started digging out the old cistern behind the house two years ago, so I have safety fencing around a 6X8X6 foot deep cement hole with a foot of mud in the bottom. I have a feeling I get to dig out the last foot of it. Then the fun part - landscaping it! Some day I'm putting in some rock walls where the ground slopes in front of my house, and making the pathway between the trees there look better, but who knows what year that will happen. First I have a major family gathering to get through in July, which I happened to volunteer to host, so I don't really want any big projects underway right then. I can hardly wait! Our spring break is the week after Easter, so hopefully the weather will be nice and I can spend the week in the yard getting started on gardening. (Spring cleaning - what's that?)
Connie

Our whole property is so darned finished. It's now one giant garden. It's a chore to find a spot to even plant a bulb. The garden is 'stuffed'. Every square foot has had something done to it. I wish we had some room for more gadening....mknd you that would have been 'stuffed' by now too. I've been eyeing the garage roof as a possible place to raise tomatoes....garden projects are never work for me. I wish I had more to do! Hmmm? All that space on top of the garage...full sun...tomatoes...why not some squash...a few ..

I need to learn patience for a spring project so I'm backing off trying to plan the Rose garden area that I started last year and am only going to add one University of Saskatchewan Lily plus some annuals when the time is right. Instead I'll focus on creating a miniature herb bed in the area against my townhouse. I think that it should take up my planning needs - I love to plan

Fern

Hmm let's see, I have always wanted an Arbor, and found one on sale last fall. Now I need to find a spot for it, and put a garden around it!

I started 2 new lasagna beds last fall, they should be ready to plant this spring. Lots of space to plant new things!

I have an old cast iron wood stove back behind the shed. The bottom is really kewl, the top is all rusted out, the size of a barrell. I think it would be neat to find a spot in the yard for it, fill it full of dirt and plant in it. Having stuff growing out of the holes in the sides and all.

I am sure there are more! But that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Jenny P

That's creative, Jenny! You better show us when you get it planted!

Fern, what herbs were you thinking of planting? Know any nice vigorous varieties? I'm going to try basil again, the last time I tried it outside it just kind of sat there. Parsley and Thyme for sure, maybe mint and lemon balm (carefully), and I'd like to try some sage and oregono. I like to grow enough to dry for winter use as well as use fresh.

Oh one herb I love in my garden is Fennel. And I never eat it! I love it for the foliage!

Jenny P

Hi everyone. I'm new. I've been looking for a Canadian site where things might be a little closer to my growing zone and I'm glad to be here.

We moved here 16 years ago so this property is really very "done" now. I have far more garden beds than I want to keep up with these days so the plan this year is to once more plant a few more shrubs to replace flowering perennials and annuals.

I've been growing more and more veggies and so I'm planning to work in a few plastic tunnels for early spring planting in spots. I plan to move a few perennials to make a few spaces the width of the beds in which I can plant extra tomatoes and carrots and that sort of thing. We'll see how I feel about that as the summer progress' and we see how it presents itself.

I have a good sized bed near the kitchen door that sits on the top of a rock wall and last fall we removed a lot of plants from that bed. I've decided to remove almost all plants and use it for an herb garden. It's very hot and sunny and dry.....if I keep it watered nicely it should be perfect for herbs.

I have early seedlings going in the greenhouse now...things that I want for my containers so they can get going early and be potted up. It's just enough to give me something to dream on while we wait for the full seeding that will happen at the end of the month. I bring them in for the overnights right now and take them back out in the morning. We have a forced air heater in there so everything is toasty (and I've been sunbathing.......oh that's heavenly!)

Hi all

I will never put mint into the ground again - I have such a small space and it is very vigorous - it even popped up in my neighbours yard. I do love to grow Thyme - I've had good luck with lemon thyme and lime thyme - I love the scents and tho' the lime doesn't carry over its flavour the lemon does. I've had alot of success with lettuce leaf basil - it isn't as strong as some of the others and because it has big leaf size seems to go really well in salads. I also have grown a prostrate rosemary - I love the scent - I have put it in a pot combined with flowers near my door and when I go by the scent is released - lovely. I may try to winter it over in the ground this year - my sister in Regina was able to so maybe I can too. I also love some of the oreganos - I planted a varigated one last year and it did well - also Pineapple sage is one of my favourites - oh wow - I'm getting excited

Fern

Timlin, wher are you from? It's always nice to see someone else from NWOnt - we need to try and balance all those westerners!! :>

I know what you mean about the mint, Fern. I was thinking I'd plant them in the ground within a bottomless pot or something. They have so many types, I find them iresistable!

Same with the Thymes :^) For drying and using fresh I planted German Winter Thyme last year and I really liked the flavour. I 'm still using it now and you don't need much. I left some in the ground so we'll see if it comes up. Lime Thyme sounds so refreshing! I'll have to keep my eyes open for lettuce leaf basil, too.

Jenny, How large does your fennel get? Is it easy to grow?