A Valentine Gift

• Posted on 10 February 2022
• 0

Generally improving weather is the ‘gardening’ Valentine gift!

With a reprieve from rain and other inclement weather, it presents us all with an excellent chance to get some planning work done for the garden and landscape; perhaps even more than planning! Winter landscape projects should not be limited to perfect conditions; there’s much to do in advance of the weather that spring supplies.  Taking stock of what needs to be done, with a sense of priority to each individual task, goes a long way towards breaking a seemingly insurmountable undertaking, into bite-size pieces.

The first step towards your plan is having a walk around and making a list.  While many prefer the tactile approach of pencil and paper, making notes on your smartphone also works just as well.  Make sure and take the time to focus on the constituent parts of the project rather than its entirety. I have the capability of defeating myself before I start, simply because I fail to set realistic goals.  I do much better with many small tasks, rather than a single massive one.

A checklist approach helps me stay motivated.  Things also change.  With my checklist in hand, I may be able to talk myself into doing ‘just one thing’ on my list today.  I am a lot more likely to accidently do something else, ‘since I’m already out here’.  Some days I am more motivated than others.  Sometimes the weather fails to cooperate.  Whichever the case, I usually am able to complete most ‘to-do’ lists on time, with less frustration.

Widely variable weather conditions can make any project challenging.  When equipped with a plan, broken down into more manageable steps, we are able to raise assurity. Really important tasks can get completed at an appropriate time: through suppression of tasks that have reduced priority, and elevation of other steps, to insure completion. 

We’ve been known to say, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Tune in Saturdays at 8a for, “The At Home Show”; for 24 years, we’ve been helping you turn your plans, into actions!

David Bates