Stepping stones can be really neat. I would be very wary about the children's jeans planters. Personally, I would not want my place to be too cluttered. I have to get along with the neighbours, you know.

This spring/summer, I will be tearing apart my pond to make it smaller, so that I have more room for some tall brugmansia towering over the pond. I have designed the backdrop and waterfall on paper and forecast potential problems, so that should work out well.

I also intend to dig up, part of my "lower bed" which borders on the cedar bush between our house and the river below. It is getting too cluttered, and I want to build up the sides, and once and for all get rid of the three different types of mint growing there. The @#$% stuff is taking over. This will involve some work with concrete and rocks, but it should be a lot better at the end of the day.

I also MUST "cull the herd" of the many brugmansias that I have. .... just toooooo many, although I love them so much. I will have to chose which are my favourites, and get rid of the rest.

I intend to rebuild my "dahlia hedge" which was a major hit this past summer.

I just got myself another import permit, this time for the state of Connecticut, so that I can import nearly two dozen grafted conifer cultivars from Bethlehem Nursery.
At last I will have a few Sciadopitys cultivar varieties ! (not to mention several nice dwarf Abies & other selections)
Last spring I imported a bunch of stuff from Oregon and Washington, and I'm already looking forward to receiving this spring's orders, which also include some plants from Oregon, ordered through a local distributor.
Late last year I got myself a monster "hand truck" for moving heavy things, so I hope to expand my rock garden with some nice big decorative rocks (the same Eastern Townships source of beautiful quarzite boulders I used last year).
And of course this spring will be the first time my precious Maxipinyons, grown from imported seeds under artificial lights, will finally get to see sunlight.
Quite a few things to look forward to !

My plans for spring are pretty basic. Get lots of compost for my raised veggie beds, and lots of mulch. Dig up the front 'bed' which is always a messy jungle that I pretend looks good, and turn it into a brug bed so that it will look good, and make the neighbors jealous in the process!! Dividing all the hostas in their bed (came with the house five years ago) and replanting a bunch in the shady area in the front.
And weeding, weeding, weeding! Every year, the weeds seem to get away from me. This year I intend to keep on top of all the garden chores. (Ha! I say that every year)

And Jroot, I love the image of 'culling the herd'. Don't forget about the other brug fans out here when you do.

Here's my list(so far):
2 Trees removed from front yard-Apple and Pine
lilacs pruned back
dogwoods behind barn pruned back
prepare flower bed and walkway-in front of house
put in fence-about 600 feet
Get hummingbird bed planted
Prepare a holding bed for transplants and cuttings

And that is just the beginning! Will we get it all finished..probably not this year.

We bought this 3 acre property that has been sorely neglected for the past 12 years! On top of all the gardening that needs to be done we are also in the process of fixing, restoring and remodeling the house. We spent the first 6 months hauling out 6 tons of garbage and mowing down 3-4 feet high grass, actually more like weeds since it has been allowed to grow without any care for the past 12 years. Before anyone slams us for removing those trees-the apple tree is rotted and falling apart, full of bugs and diseases and the pine is about 30 feet tall, beautiful and full. It drops a lot of sap but I could deal with that, if only it wasn't 6 inches from the house with it's limbs rubbing against the side and roof. That can't be a good thing. Why oh why do people plant trees such as this right against a house. :-(

This is the year i go back and start replenishing every thing in my garden. the fences are all in, the beds have all been dug and planted for a few years now, some 7-8 yrs.Time to go in replenish the soil split the perenials. Its so over grown i can't believe it.I'm taking all the beds out around the foundation of the house. Can't get in or out of my car with all that stuff growing.(nice idea at the time)Getting a new roof and gutters, so when thats done i'll replant around the house with things that don't attack when you get out of your car. hahaha If i have any money left after that, i might widen a few beds. at thats it for me.Fairly relaxing year here.......:-)

All of this sounds like a labour of love. As for restoring/ripping out old, diseased gardens etc. it will be well worth it to start off with a clean slate. You don't want diseased vegetation around new planting later. I will have the same to do in a year or so when we tackle our trees on our land when we build. I am hoping to start seedlings from their seeds to replant the old varieties but in a new area.

I understand the 'triffid' garden around the house getting you every time you get out of the car. Plants always look lost in new gardens when they are young.

Keep us posted later in the season when you start tackling your jobs. I plan to take photos to share.

Cheers,
McPeg

My project this year is reclaiming my garden, due to health issues I haven't been able to do much the past 3 or four years. Have you ever seen Clematis tangutica running amuck, they say Wisteria is bad in the wrong place, this Clematis almost did a number on a mature Wisteria. I have 5 composters going and so far we've made 3 truckloads to the composting section of our city landfill. The garden in many places is still overgrown but I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. A bit at a time, weeding and mulching as I go, uncovering what I thought was lost, treasures to once again see the light of day. Spring is just around the corner, LIFE IS GOOD.

Happy Gardening,

A......

Just came by to check my list and to remind myself of all the many things that need done. I wish I was 20 years younger so tackling all of this wouldn't seem so overwhelming! Nice to know I've made a bit of progress, the huge spruce is down. I have to remind myself, baby steps, baby steps...

I am a little late on this one but I am new. I planning on putting in some golden raspberries to go with my everbearing. I am also planting green manure this year, and plan to add a lot of compost to the vegie and fruit garden. There is lilac in a bed that needs to be raised because it just sits in water. Also I will be making that bed a little bigger and add some dahlias, and some princess lilies(they don't even look like lilies though). I am also grafting some apples to some rootstock I am getting, and I am adding some cultivars to my peach tree so i can have a longer harvest period. beyond that I am not sure but i will end up doing some other things.

It's never too late to add to any post! Especially with Spring Fever running rampant everywhere!

Lots. I have to regrade the backyard. I have hired a landscaper to address the 'trench' that allows water to travel from the neighboring yards into my yard and out to the drain located in neighbor's yard. (Don't you love these developers). After which I will be planting trees and shrubs along the backfence. The Front walk will have to be redone. So yet another landscaper job. - I'll be doing the hardwork of creating new garden beds and improving the soil. I plan to remove existing grass from the area and create a cottage front yard garden and will also start lining the walk with service berries and boxwoods. So plenty plenty of things to do.

Am finally giving up the lawn - 3 dogs...need I say more? They only use it as a loo...they prefer to lie on the driveway than on grass...go figure LOL!

Am replacing lawn with a large oval raised lasagna-type bed only I'm not using compost. I'm hoping to get 10 yards of triple mix blown into the bed by one of those blower trucks. And if that works out well I'll get him to come back and blow in some mulch over all my beds. It costs but boy will my back (and DH's) thank me!

Anyway, should have about 1 foot of soil which I expect will settle a couple of inches, but should still be deep enough for the dwarf trees, shrubs and perennials I've ordered from Lost Horizons and Vineland.

Final step will be to remove what's left of the grass and replace with pea stone. (Try and kill that, you dogs!!)

I can hardly wait - now if only it would warm up!!

Debs

P.S. Has anyone ever used one of those blower-truck firms before?

Putting in a deck in the back and making beds for a herb garden.Also increasing the flower beds 1 out.
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This is what my husband made for me last year in the front of our house.The herb garden will be along the same idea.

Boy everyone is sure busy! We are also removing 2 large poplar trees in our back yard that are trashing the place (well past their prime) and making the yard very messy and damaging the house. Looking to enjoy more light and incorporate more beds back there.
Love the deck in the front of the house - thanks Brendall for sharing the photos.
Debsz, I'm with you on getting rid of the lawn for garden. It's too much to maintain given the temperature rising and the cost of water. I prefer a garden to sit in anyway!
Keep your projects coming. I hope to share photos later this summer to!

Assembling an arbour and hopefully getting some trumpet flowers etc. to grow on it to attract the hummers. Also digging in a small fountain (I'd love a pond, but so labour intensive). This one just recirculates water.

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I think I can change the fibreglass "millstone" for a natural rock I have with a hole in it. Neat stuff at "pondsonline.ca".