Hahaha- I still have my tomato "seedlings" I planted last spring in their little cups (stunted but still alive!) in my back yard--wanna trade???

Carla in Sac

I have 50-60 iris out there wanting to be planted, tons of other stuff to go into the ground and I've had it for the year...don't want to go back out there...stay inside and make pumpkin bread. I think it's finally sunk in, the more I have, the more I have to plant and take care of. I think I'm ready to start reversing this process. I never in my life thought I would ever say that....

I think it has to do with the soil being too hard. I did a lot of soil improvement so now new things plant really easy, but if the soil was hard. I would not feel like digging holes at all. It would hurt my back.

My DH calls them the "flats of eternal guilt" sitting in dappled shade in the back yard. As soon as I get close to planting all the stuff that's in waiting, I hit the nursery and come home with another trunkful. The new unplanteds camouflage the pathetic appearance of the poor things that have been sitting there waaaay too long (leftover cosmos or vinca, anyone?). And yeah, I've got divided iris and watsonias that don't have a place to go that probably should be donated to the plant bank, but I haven't gotten around to doing that, either.
Sorry, Renee -- what you're getting here is empathy, not enthusiasm, and the rain, needed as it may be, ain't helping.

Kay

Whenever I have a job that's too big to tackle in one go I break it up into smaller segments that are easier to handle. If you chip away at it little by little it may take a lot longer but it's easier on you.

Having said that I've pooped myself out enough times before that I made a pledge to never buy bulbs unless I have the planting area already prepared. I went coocoo buying bulk bulbs before and got myself in way over my head, I ended up giving big bags of bulbs away to friends just so they didn't die in my garage.

Here's a little summer prettiness to help pick you up:
{{gwi:563886}}
Just Joey

Am with you on this. I've got plants sitting in the shade that were meant to be planted out this spring, including stuff that were started from cuttings and seeds a while ago, plants rescued from flats I neglected last year. Most are now too big for their tiny 4" pots. Then there are my accidental container plants -- plants that got moved from 4" to gallon pots because I forgot to plant them and still haven't gotten around to it. Is there a pattern here? :)

And I'm itching to start another batch of seeds in time for 2012 spring planting of course.

Bought too many plants, don't feel like digging

Story of my life. What makes you think you are the only one who does that? ;)

Yes I have done that. I will buy a flat of liners intending to plant up to four inch size before planting in the garden beds. Standing on my feet to plant 50 pots, is compounded three months later when I have to pot up to one gallons because I did not plant the four inchers. As a gardener I recoil from discarding plants I really do not need! Al

After a thorough spring cleaning, I had literally hundreds of clippings of sedum praealtum, rock purslane and aloe gradidentata that I was "going to transplant soon" laying in organized piles under the patio for months until I finally realized I would never do it and ended up throwing the poor things out last week. I have way too many of those and they're reproducing like mad as we type!

I can't tell you how many things have gone into 5 gal pots. No, I cannot stand to toss plants, everything needs to be planted...well, I think I've gotten over that one. I have a couple of friends who did benefit quite a lot this year from stuff I was getting rid of and happy to see someone else take it...lol..

There are 15 year old, very large trees here that were set on the ground during moving, eventually rooted through the pots and are now huge. Turns out I liked all of the spots where they rooted also...lol. I would not have chosen to plant them there.

I will NOT go to a nursery again for a very, very long time. Why is it impossible to plant just a few seeds of what you want? Why must it always end up as a full flat? Why is this so hard to give up?

LOL!! Oh, I feel your pain! I feel it in my back, shoulders, elbows, knees and feet! I don't have THAT many plants waiting for a new home, but too many for the little time I have to plant them. Company's coming, rain is coming, and I doubt I'll get 'em all planted in time. It's a sickness!

Any progress there hose?

A prediction of rain seems highly motivating. A chance of rain tonight, so I went out and got 3 Yuccas, 2 Aloes, a Ceonothus, and 4 Agaves planted. Plants seem to get off to a good start when they get "rained in" to their new homes.

I have tomorrow off. If it's not raining, I'll start planting. I wanted to get seeds on the ground before the rain too.

You know what it is. There's always something to pull out, trim back, or clean up before you can plant. I have to sledge-hammer out a concrete step before I can plant the spurias. Then I have to redesign the bed, move the pieces of broken concrete into a border- blah blah blah. It will all be done before spring, I tell myself.

The arbor had to come down, though. We saved the lumber, and we'll rebuild it. Some day!

I'm guessing, Renee, that yesterday was probably a washout for you, if you pardon the expression. Sending gardening energy your way -- disguised as a comfy pair of Wellies and rubberized gloves -- together with clear skies and a helpful DH, of course.

Kay

How's it going so far?

For a job like that to be done by a certain date, I like to break it down into smaller tasks with a simple schedule I create in Excel to prioritize, plan, and track my progress. This helps me stay on track, know what to do each day, and record what's already been done. If there's no deadline, then I just do what I can when I can. Otherwise, I need a plan to stay on track.