Realtors Home & Garden Show

DH and I have gone to the Realtors Home & Garden Show each year for the past 3 years. For the past two years we've gotten a set of free tickets from our lovely realtor who sold our condo. Thanks Tammy!

Anyway, I've always enjoyed this show. The past two years we somewhat wandered around asking questions. This year, though, we were on a mission.

#1 Going to the "How to "Go Green" with your Lawn" solution seminar

#2 Visiting the Johnson's Nursery booth to get information on their "We Plan It, You Plant It" program.

#3 Getting estimates from people on what it would cost to get our hot water heater inspected (it's 12 years old, so we're pushing it right now).

And we basically walked out with that info. #1 added a few to-do items to our 2009 list (get our soil tested, aerate the lawn). The seminar was really informative. Even better, the guy who gave it is local to us, so we have him as a potential resource.

I need to get photographs and measurements of the area we want to have Johnson Nursery help us plan out - the stepping stone walkway we want to put in and the border garden on the fireplace wall.

And we found a local-ish plumber that does free inspections, though he didn't say what all is included in that. But that's a step in the right direction and I like free.

2009 Garden To-Do List

Every year we make a yearly to-do list for our yard and garden. Last year we had a very aggressive list - nearly two dozen bullet points - that we busted our butts to get thru. Overall, we were successful. I think we didn't get one task done (replacing a broken screen on a basement window).

Unfortunately I can't seem to find that list. It's possible it got thrown out. So here is this year's list in electronic format!

• Finish master plan of the yard
• Re-landscape garage bed
• Re-landscape west wall bed (aka fireplace bed)
• Re-level brick patio
• Power-wash trellis and mailbox post
• Fill in holes in front bed (dead junipers and rose bushes)
• Plan out vegetable garden
• Re-mulch front yard beds
• Get rid of barberry bush in back
• Place stepping stones from garage to back yard (potentially optional)
• Look at and either remove or repair yard sink
• Trim large bush trio in back
• Prune Mugo out front
• Clear out back woods (lots of dead and dying hardwoods)
  

So.Over.Winter

It's March 2nd and we just got more snow.

I would like to PLANT THINGS. Which means the ground needs to be snow free and thawed. Can I get someone to work on that for me? Thanks.

In the meantime, I was looking at our maple tree and we have a TON of new growth. A good foot. Probably closer to 18". The linden has some new growth as well, though not nearly as much, maybe 3" up top. But that's ok - slow and steady, right?

Can't wait for the maple to leaf out though!