Please pardon my delay in posting. Spring and summer got away from me – we all know the feeling, especially during these challenging times.  In my last post, I shared four ways in which you can triumph over really tough landscaping projects.  Here are the remaining four. I hope you find these tips helpful:

5. Set Realistic Goals and Pursue Them In Logical Order

Goals should also be specific and measurable. When I originally wrote this post in March 2021, my goals were as follows: “Within the next 45 days, I plan to finish my spring cleanup, rehabilitate the road salt-ravaged south lawn, plant forty Japanese irises along the vernal stream, and finish clearing the overgrown corner of the main lawn in order to create a low-key outdoor dining area.  I’ve been cleaning up the flower beds in 30-45 minute increments each day during the week and devoting several hours to this task during the weekends. Progress is steady and not too exhausting; the flower beds will be done in a few days.”

Real-world update:  I couldn’t clear the dining area this spring/summer and just began that work last week.  However, I did complete the other four tasks – with a couple of asterisks, of course:

First, I did rehabilitate the south lawn, but we didn’t get much rain for weeks on end so it took a while to green up.  Then the heat of summer fried the newly grown grass and the crabgrass returned.  I assume that area still has a too-high concentration of prior winters’ road salt/sand which will only worsen in subsequent years. The solution may be to rototill the area each spring to incorporate a heavy amount of fertilizer and fresh soil before re-seeding.

Second, I did plant all 40 Japanese irises (20 Silverband, 10 Silent Thunder, and 10 Thoroughbred).  They survived though I think they will be competing with champion-sized skunk cabbage for dominance. I’m excited to see if they bloom next year.

Only you know what your priorities are for how you want your property to look and how you need to balance that against all of your other responsibilities in life. So while your property may look less than great for several months, or even years, if you’ve set the right goals in the right order and you keep going, you will see a steady and noticeable transformation.  It will make you happy. You will not quit.

6. Plan for Each Work Day (and Have a Backup Plan)

This tip seems obvious, but I have wasted up to two hours on a Saturday morning by not being prepared. If your work time is relegated to the weekend or maybe an hour or two before or after work during the week, you simply cannot waste time deciding what you want to work on that day, only to discover that you don’t have the right tools/supplies, you’re out of gas, or a battery has died. Especially if you have only a three-hour window before it rains for the rest of the weekend. Even if you’re working from home, time management is critical.

Plan everything:

Food/Beverages (preferably easily portable)

I’ll eat the healthiest breakfast I have available on intense work days; nothing sugar- or fat-laden since that’ll just sap my energy. Whether working in cold or hot weather, it’s important to stay hydrated.  If I’m not near the house, I bring a thermos of water with me.

Outerwear/Protective Gear

• If you’re new to bushwhacking, you’ll likely need:
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunhat/sun mask (and a portable umbrella, if you’re feeling extravagant)
  • Folding lawn chairs
  • Mosquito/tick spray (preferably organic)
  • Noise-cancellation headphones
  • Protective eyewear
  • Filtration mask (if you’re working during a high-pollen count, or if your lawn has deer and other wildlife droppings as mine does and you’re concerned about what raking and mowing will release into the air and your lungs)
  • Work gloves (preferably long-cuffed)
  • Light-colored, outdoor work clothing (it’ll be easier to find any ticks that latch onto you; normal shirts and jeans/pants likely will be shredded at some point and won’t protect your skin as well from thorns)
  • Waterproof boots (insulated for winter)
  • Cell phone (with portable solar charger)
  • First-aid kit
  • Blaze orange (during hunting season)

A special note:  If you are not savvy about hunting, check your state’s website for the current and upcoming hunting seasons, mark each of those dates on a calendar (make note of the hours), and check it before you go out. If it’s hunting season and you’re working in or near hunting territory (even if you’re on your own land and you have posted legally-enforceable no trespass/no hunting signs), it’s smart to wear the appropriate “blaze orange” outerwear so you are not mistaken for quarry. Sadly, there have been many news reports of hunters shooting people, sometimes when the victims have been on their own property. I’ve seen roofers wearing blaze orange vests when they’re working atop houses hundreds of yards from where one can legally hunt.  Make sure to outfit your dog, too, if it will be outside with you.

The Right Tools

• Loppers, snips, shovels, rakes, push mower, riding mower, tractor, brush hog, chainsaw, weed trimmer, whatever you need for the task at hand.  Make sure all tools are properly maintained, sharpened, gassed up, charged up, and ready to go. Luckily, my brother handles maintenance and repairs for me.

7. Know When and How to End Each Work Session

Before you start work, know when you’re going to call it a day.  From Daylight Saving in March through mid-June, I prefer to work between 8:00am – 2:00pm.  Earlier than that and everything is usually wet with dew. Later than that, and I’m likely worn out anyway or it’s getting too warm. I tend not to work between 10:00am and 5:00pm during summer and look forward to the cooler weather that typically returns in late September.

Give yourself enough time to clean up your worksite, clear/stack whatever you cut that day, and clean your tools so that you’re done at the appointed time. Re-fill gas cans and make sure all electric tools are re-charged before your next work day. You may be rained out, get sick or have other commitments that will prevent you from completing your project per your original schedule. You don’t want to leave stacks of brush or other mess to greet you the next time. The few times I did that I regretted it; I felt like I was wasting time and energy that I couldn’t spare cleaning up last week’s work. Each work day is a fresh work day, and you’ll appreciate the psychological lift when you see how much you truly completed the last time.

Two summers ago, my lawn got a little long and my sister volunteered to mow it after work. The clippings were so long they would have killed the grass if she’d left them on the lawn. She was tired, but she raked the clippings onto a big tarp, rolled it up but didn’t empty it.

Yep, one week later when we unrolled it a dozen baby mice shot out of that thing.

And the urine-soaked, fermenting clippings stank. Really bad.

8. Don’t Give Up

I have wanted to, more than once. I’ve been stressed out thinking about how much more needs to be done, how physically hard it will be, and that I won’t be finished before the heat, humidity, and bugs kick in. I’ve set this year as the year that I complete the reclamation stage of my major projects and then move onto hopefully easier maintenance. I don’t want to miss that goal.

I know I’m making progress. I’m working cleanly and thoroughly and I don’t have to worry about someone doing a substandard job and charging me through the nose for the privilege.  Your home is likely your biggest investment.  Do whatever you can on your own so that when you need to hire the professionals you can better afford to do so. Every square foot you take back (or smartly return to nature) increases the value of your property, and every step you take is another dollar in your pocket.

9. Bonus Tip: Forgive Yourself

Weeks or months (or years!) into your landscaping project, there will be times when you just don’t have the energy to drag one more tree branch to the brush pile. Don’t punish yourself. Take off and do something fun. Or just rest. You’ve earned it.