Things I want to achieve in April 2025
Once again, I’m running late with my expectation list for the new month. April is 10 days in and only now can I say that I can give the garden my undivided attention. Leading up to this point I’ve been a little distracted working on projects and meeting deadlines as well as the super exciting NZ Gardens Trust conference visiting inspiring gardens and hanging out with inspiring people.
The great news in the garden is the summer drought has broken, and we’ve had plenty of rain. Although temperatures are cooling down, this fabulous combo has caused the weeds to flourish and there are a squillion teeny tiny weeds across the garden. Taking my eye off the garden for a week or so hasn’t been the cause of the overwhelming amount of weeds, they seem to have popped up overnight. Daily hoeing will be a priority until they stop popping up, which should help reestablish a good routine after not following my own advice. The good thing about goals is they can easily be restarted again and again until we achieve what we set out to achieve. Going forward this is the next new start to the resolutions I set back in January. Sometimes it feels like I’m constantly making excuses about not getting things done but a garden isn’t stagnant and can change on its own and life is fabulously interesting with all sorts of opportunities that can’t be ignored.
So as usual this month’s ‘to do’ list items will continue to have some familiar tasks as my expectations are often bigger than what is actually possible! There are a few new chores as the season demands alongside the regular tasks that need to be done, no matter what and the cut and come again jobs that reappear with a comfortable sense of familiarity. And finally, there are the things I really want to do but am realistic enough to realise they won’t actually all be done this month, but they certainly won’t be forgotten … and you never know, I might cross one or two of them off the list.
These are things I hope to achieve in the month of April although I know have bitten off my than I can chew, but my season of out of garden busyness is behind me so there is always hope…
GARDEN GARDENING
- Weekly weeding of all sectors.
- Harvest when necessary.
- Continue with bricks in paths.
- Clear sand along fence line.
- Trap possums.
- Remove crops as they finish.
- Plant out cool season seedlings.
- Deadhead flowers.
- Sow cover crops.
- Take down structures.
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
Sector 1
- Pull out dead tomatoes.
- Divide oregano and chives.
- Start new row of peas.
Sector 2
- Keep harvesting peppers and brassica.
Sector 3
- Succession plant salad crops & carrots.
- Sow swedes.
- Harvest and dry popcorn.
- Move fennel to permanent spot in sector 4.
- Dig up potatoes.
- Plant early garlic.
Sector 4
- Greenhouse maintenance.
- Set up irrigation through this area.
- Repair rhubarb windbreak.
- Harvest kumara.
Sector 5
- Finish irrigation system.
- Protect from possums.
- Build a blueberry cage.
- Spray stonefruit.
- There is a garden bed on my garden plan that is listed as “weeds.” This needs to change.
THE PALACE:
Room 1
- Renovate bench.
- Add brackets to stairs.
- Clean up behind garden.
Room 2
- Install edging.
- Get plaque for time capsule.
- Refresh the bark mulch.
- Fill gaps with plants.
- Fix and repaint gates.
Room 3
- Finish project.
BEYOND THE GARDEN
- Weedeat swingseat path.
- Weedeat backdoor area.
- Weedeat along fence line.
- Paint swingseat.
- WeednFeed the lawn
- Tidy office.
OTHER PROJECTS – for when I have time.
- Landscape around the swing seat.
- Weed around trees on windbreak hill.
- Plant more trees on windbreak hill.
- Office building maintenance.
- Weed Waterfall.
- Clothesline project.
- Investigate ‘hill art’ project.
- Frames around irrigation hubs.
- Build plants in pots station.
- Paint sheds.
- Makeover chicken coup
KITCHEN GARDENING
- Make the most of every harvest.
- Store or process crops for the long term.
- Something from the garden in every meal.
- Make more single serve marrow soup.