Those of you in actually inhabitable climes can ignore this thread. But for those of us toiling in the tundra, that time is just around the corner. I went to the Chicago flower and garden show yesterday, and it really got my juices flowing. So what have you got planned for the summer?
I am looking forward to the following, in roughly this order:
- trench out and replace plastic tubing from sump punp to back of yard.
- core aerate the shit out of my lawn, as the first step of a summer long attempt to rehabilitate that wasteland through seeding and top dressing.
- dig new bed approx 10’X30’ to install evergreen border with grasses in front. Probably a couple of specimen false cypress gacked by junipers. May incorporate berming.
- dig new bed approx 10’X20’ just off patio to properly display specimen hosta which are presently in the back of the yard.
- plant hollies, oakleaf hydrangea, and rhododendra in the back where the hosta were.
- mulch the snot out of all of my gardens.
That should be enough to keep me busy through April!
I need to work on the front yard this year.
Last year we worked on the side of the house. We dug some up old azaleas that were hideously over-grown (the orginal owner of our house never pruned them and they had lots of dead spots), built a nice flower bed with those railroad-tie looking things, and planted some boxwoods.
I need something for the front yard. It’s a south-southwest location, lots of sun, kind of wet, not very good drainage. I want a tree to block the sun from the bay window.
I like a certain tree, sometimes called a teacup magnolia or tulip magnolia. Or something that grows kind of low to block the window. We get lots of sun in the window and it makes the AC run that much harder. Also just for the privacy issue. Yes, we have curtains, but I want a tree there, too.
Bibliocat Magnolia’s are a good choice I think they like a rich soil, also Dogwoods and oh what’s the one with the heart shaped leaves with the red bud that burst in a purplish pink blooms - is it Cercis canadensis?
Any way again wishing I had planted spring bulbs last year-nothing blooms in my yard until the iris. Have to keep hacking at the purple loosetrife and spotted knapweed. Im letting the sedges grow as they are natives, I’d like to relandscape our postage stamped size front lawn - but that is winter storage for boats. We have this weedy tree that if I keep it trimmed actually has a nice shape and its reinforcing a toppling garden wall and my avian friends like to perch on it - BUt what else oh just letting the yard return to natural state and keepin ahead of exotics and evil nursery species that have got out of hand like english ivy
My backyard faces a lake s/sw big oaks and pines it’s a wind whipped and sun torched environment, with a steep slope but have noticed some interesting wildflowers that Im learning to recognize and protect.
The real fun is the lake shore - I let everything that takes root grow and WOW talk about variety - BUt I also have a fast growing tree maybe poplar, in the worst spot and Im gonna need a chainsaw after 2yrs growth! I thought it was a Birch tree but its not!
Raise my raised beds.
I am strictly a vegetable gardener. radishes onions peas-then corn squash- then beans peppers tomatos melons.
I tried a chicken tractor last year. Now we’ll see if the old gals really did what I was told they would do.
I have 2 really big compost piles that should be ready early spring so I hope to incorporate them before I plant.