Spring To-do Lists

By Susanne Talbert (art_n_garden)
April 16, 2012

Gardeners need goals, to do lists and plans in order to focus and streamline their efforts. It is always surprising how often gardeners forget to make goals for their gardens. Hopefully this article will motivate or inspire you to use the last few chilly weeks to set up an enthused to-do list for your garden.

(Editor's Note: This article was originally published on April 11, 2009. Your comments are welcome, but please be aware that authors of previously published articles may not be able to promptly respond to new questions or comments.)

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." - Anthony Robbins

The first thing you need to do when you set up your goals of the garden is to sit down in the middle of you garden.  Look around: look at your successes and your disappointments.  Make a mental list of things you wish you had time to do this spring or summer and things that really should get done to have a "successful" gardening year. Begin to take notes on specific tasks that must be done, your 'druthers and wishes, and your dreams for your gardening season.  Plot it out into a vision for your garden because without this, you may wander aimlessly through the growing season.

Main goals

Once you establish a visualization of your perfect garden this season, you have to organize this visual into specific goals.  Imagine what three to five tasks would make you the happiest, feel the most successful, and improve your garden the most.  Decide upon a couple of these to make into your main garden goals.  

Focus points

With your main goals in mind, decide on a couple tasks that would be easy to accomplish and sustain in under an hour each week.  These items will make up a secondary to-do list of things you need to focus on in order to achieve the main goals.

Miscellaneous List

All gardens have an endless amount of tasks to do in order to keep them running and looking good; of course don't forget to add these to your to-do list.  It's likely that once you see the bigger picture, the smaller menial tasks won't seem like a burden.  Write down every small task you'd like to accomplish this spring, it will allow you more choices when you actually want to tackle the small, laborious things.  And plus, when doesn't crossing something off a list feel great? 

Prioritize your list

Obviously you won't be able to get to everything on your list first thing this spring.  You may have to wait until summer, fall, or even next year to complete some of these tasks.  At list point when you have objectivity, you may as well go ahead and number your list and establish your priorities.  This will help you stay on track for your goals later in the summer.

Set up a timeline 

Obviously, certain things in the garden must happen in a certain timeline. For example, if you don't get the pond netted by May, you make have a severe heron fishing spree on your hands.  Make note of specific time sensitive tasks such as this and assign them a week or month in which to be accomplished.  If you need to plot these on a calendar, do this so that important things do not get overlooked.

Whatever you do, don't overwhelm yourself with this spring to-do list.  It is only meant to help you and make you feel more productive and successful.  Narrow your goals down to a singular season.  Do not over plan.  Fill your to-do list with things pertinent from now through May or June.  Once June comes, you can then address your tasks and then reestablish new goals.

:::::::::::::::

If it will help, use this worksheet as a help to get started on your spring to do list.

I hope you will sit down soon and plan your main goals (maybe this weekend?)  Just as you would set a career goal or a timeline for your life, goal setting is an important aspect to your garden as well.   Use your well thought out to-do list like a tool as important as your spade this year.  Make the invisible visible; have the best gardening year yet by planning ahead with specific goals and aspirations. 

Thumbnail image of spring crocus courtesy of morguefile user rosavita.

About Susanne Talbert   I garden in beautiful Colorado Springs, half a mile from Garden of the Gods. Since we bought our first house two years ago, I have been busy revamping my 1/4 acre of ignored decomposed granite. My garden passions include water gardening, vines, super-hardy perennials, and native xerics. By day, I am a high school ceramics teacher as well as a ceramicist and painter.

Helpful links   [ Mail this article | Print this article ] » Read articles about: Spring Gardening, Soil And Composting, Dividing Perennials » Read more articles written by Susanne Talbert « Check out our past articles!

Discussion about this article:

Subject Topic Starter Replies Views Last Post changing sloping grass area to plants meflotoo 2 25 Apr 16, 2012 10:09 AM Changing sloping grass area to plants cowboydj 0 7 Apr 16, 2012 10:07 AM Have a healthy, algae-less pond? keferraro 0 7 Apr 16, 2012 7:50 AM I have a lot of landscape brick KristinDC 2 59 Apr 16, 2012 5:36 AM Planning steadycam3 4 38 Apr 6, 2011 2:50 PM Alternative plans jazzy1okc 0 25 Apr 4, 2011 4:25 AM

You cannot post until you login.