Project 2026

January is one of my favorite times of the year. The new year is a blank slate, just waiting to be overlaid with our hopes and dreams. It's expecially fun for gardeners, as we can finally get our plans in order for the coming growing season.

I did a pretty good job meeting my goals for 2025. Sometimes they morph into something else, but that's okay. It's important to be flexible.

Here's to 2026!

1. The only food I plan to grow is a little clump of asparagus, strawberries (assuming they survives this crazy winter), and garlic I planted last fall in the strawberry bed. And maybe I'll take another shot at green beans.
2. I discovered that the chokeberry plants the landscaper installed by the den are non-yielding, so I want to plant a row of four fruitful chokeberries in front of them; variety will depend on height and berry production.
3. I've always wanted arches over the gates to the backyard and will try to create them from cattle fencing like the neighbor behind me did. The climbing rose can crawl over the south gate from one side and maybe something else from the other side (like a clematis). The north gate could support the honeysuckle vine.
4. I will deliberately plant more safflower, to dye yarn with.
5. The 'Goldsturm' rudbeckia will be eliminated from the Meadow.
6. Rudbeckia hirta will go in the bed around a serviceberry in front yard; it is supposed to actually attract pollinators, plus it's pretty.
7. Arrow-leaf coneflower will join the coneflower cultivar (that was supposed to attract pollinators but didn't) in the bed by the front walk; maybe I'll shift the cultivar to the front of bed, because it is short but blooms a long time.
8. Gotta plant some Mexican sunflowers (in containers?)
9. Also gotta plant some zinnias (in containers?)
10. I want to repeat having pineapple sage, planted in the ground this time instead of a container, as it gets rather big. It's great for an autumn pick-me-up
11. Weeds choked out a few of the plants in the coneflower bed, so I'll order replacements.
12. The penstemon in the Meadow is too aggressive! But before I eliminate it, I must check the plants I moved to the south side of the house, to make sure it is established there, where it can duke it out with the northern sea oats and bee balm.
13. The wild geranium volunteers from the front yard are going to the area next to the goutweed. If the geranium does well, perhaps it will replace the goutweed someday.
14. The Meadow will be limited to the coneflower, the cupplant (which may need to be cut back a bit), the hickory tree, the rattlesnake master, the common milkweed, and some fleabane if I don't accidently pull it. (Fleabane looks like baby's breath from a distance.)
15. More packera, nodding onion, and hairy beardtongue will be transplanted to the backyard.
16. For the rain garden, I will add some ironweed and marsh blazing star.
17. I want to rearrange the portable fencing so the tallest panels are on the south side of the house, holding back the tall plants there, and the shortest panels are around the meadow (to keep the dog out).
18. I've never had much luck with butterfly weed, but someday I would like to try establishing it, maybe in the fire ring (once I'm done using it for fires).
19. REMINDER: Cut back the aromatic asters and goldenrod in June, to see if they behave better.

Everyday, I try to spend some time watching the birds at the feeders, from my recliner in the den. Most of the time, it is the usual suspects. The other day a white-breasted nuthatch joined the red-breasted nuthatch, which is unusual. Meanwhile, a fluffed up red-shouldered hawk sat in the neighbor's silver maple, but none of the other birds seemed too concerned.

Despite all that is going on in the world, something as simple as a bit of wildlife in the backyard can be very healing.