GT Week 1: My To Do List

One of the many things you may find when rearranging your yard. Wasp larvae: the beige ones were actually wiggling.

I got up earlyish to look at the yard this morning: rain is threatening. I was planning to go after the weeds against the south wall, too. Poot.

So, instead, I'll make a list of the things I want to do, aka the Week One GT tasks.

Make a complete list of areas which need repair, weeding, improvement or movement. Make a list of possible solutions.

This week:1. Start killing the weeds on the south wall of the house and research how high I can put the planters. I had thought to make them fairly high but I was reading something about drainage last night, so I may have to revise my plan. However, removing the weeds will take about three weeks. That gives me lots of time to figure it out--building the planters will probably take the whole summer though.

2. Stake out new pathway from gate to sidewalk. Begin excavating. The husband found rubber pavers at the Home Centre yesterday. I didn't like the colours nor the shapes on offer, so I nixed it. Then I came home and did a little 'net research and discovered 1) a local manufacturer and 2) other options for shape and colour. I am now sold--so far sold I want to rip up all the concrete and replace it with this wonderful eco-friendly material. Tires are such an ecological bane: it would be great to have something that re-uses them. Bonus: We can lift them!

3. Put the mulch down around the high bush cranberry.

4. A soil test. One of my books has a do-it-yourself test that the kids and I may be able to do. I can post about it if anyone is interested.

5. Dismantle picnic table. It's all bolted and screwed together, but it's all quite rusty. I'm planning to use the wood for planters.

6. Purchase composter. I've been collecting kitchen scaps since we got home. I'm not exactly sure where to put it though.

7. This is an idea I am going to introduce a little further along, but I'm starting this week, just because I'm so ignorant. I'm going to create a little "plant care" notebook. I'll probably use a two-up photo album for this--with a picture on the top and and index card on the bottom with the name of the plant along with notes for its care. Just placing the picture and the card in a recipe box would work well, too. I've already started taking pictures. I may be calling on you for help to identify some of them.

Other repairs needed:

This Year:Straighten fence and repaint.
Figure out and install proper drainage under the beds planned for the south facing wall of the house
Construct planters for south bed
Construct cold frame
Realign bed along west fence
Level sunken sidewalk.
Install new walkway from driveway
Create "mowing strips" and put mulch around shrubs
Remove all unwanted and unhealthy plants/shrubs
Create dog run?

Design front yard: remove sod and lay down gravel paths
Relocate tulips.

Year Two:
Take out concrete and construct slightly larger wood deck/patio
Construct and install fire pit
Plant the area between the (new) walkways by the garage
Plant front yard

Year Three:
Construct pergola over wood deck/patio

And that's about as far as I can think right now. There will probably be more.