Things I want to achieve in July 2026
Once again I have a huge over ambitious list of things I’d like to get done. So far the winter has been treating me well with loads of endless blue sky days that are a little chilly to start. But, based on last years success of trusting our frost free climate and going early, it would seem I only have a handful of weeks before my growing season starts. I don’t know if I should be excited or anxious!
The main edible area is good to go, but I still need to address the mess in Sector 5 – the fruit area, the greenhouse needs its spring clean, and the chickens keep getting out so the coop needs a desperate overhaul. If I only get these three things done I’ll be pleased, but I’m sure I’ll be able to knock more of the list if I try hard enough.
So the big list may look largely the same but there are changes where some things have been triumphantly crossed off and other timely tasked added in with varying degrees of priority. It is what it is – this is a list that will never get finished, and I’m ok with that.
July 26
GARDEN GARDENING
- Weekly weeding of all sectors.
- Continue with bricks in paths.
- Trap possums.
- Enrich soil ready for new crops
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
Sector 1
- Make new signs.
- Lower herb frames.
Sector 2
- Clear out remaining beds once finished.
Sector 3
- Tidy up beside the shed.
- Clear out remaining beds once finished.
Sector 4
- Sort out container plants.
- Tidy Greenhouse.
- Weed behind shed.
- Set up irrigation through this area.
- Wash pots.
- Prune elderberry.
- Finish office makeover.
- Replace damaged fence palings.
- Fix toolshed storm damage.
Sector 5
- Weed entire area.
- Refresh strawberry bed.
- Fix hole in irrigation pipe.
- Build a blueberry cage.
- Spray fruit trees.
- Build a windbreak gate.
- Stop chickens invading garden.
- There is a garden bed on my garden plan that is listed as “weeds.” This needs to change.
- Buy currants and maybe some blackberries.
THE PALACE:
Room 1
- Weed bricks.
- Add new windbreak.
- Control weeds in hedge.
- Feed hedge.
- Rock maintenance.
- Add brackets to stairs.
Room 2
- Refresh the bark mulch.
- Fill gaps with plants.
- Continue pinning back Muehlenbeckia.
- Get plaque for time capsule.
- Refresh the bark mulch.
- Add windbreak.
Room 3
- Weed regularly.
- Protect roses from possums.
- Remove purple dahlias.
- Add feed and compost.
- Prune and train hedge.
- Learn maintenance needs.
BEYOND THE GARDEN
- Weedeat swingseat path.
- Weedeat along fence line.
- Maintain backdoor area.
- Spray lawn for Onehunga prickles.
- Level along fence line and add brick mowing strip.
- Remove strawbale remains
- Fix address sign.
- Clear overgrown driveway.
- Paint maintenance of dolphins.
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.
- Investigate ‘hill art’ project.
- Build plants in pots station.
- Makeover chicken coup.
KITCHEN GARDENING
- Something from the garden in every meal.
- Check stored crops for rot.
- Make jams from frozen fruit.
What elderberries do you grow? What is ‘hill art’?
It’s a Sambucus nigra. I think the variety is called Nova, but it could be Adam – I took cuttings from our old orchard when we moved. The hill art is the inkling of an idea I don’t want to forget but it is way down on the priority list. : o)
Oh, so American black elderberry. I just got ‘Nova’ and ‘York’, along with the native blue elderberries. Black elderberry is new to me, and not native here. Hill art is still a mystery.
Hello Sarah the Gardener, Fantastic photo of the new bed organization and congratulations on republishing your book. Watched the garden tour as I considered one, then read some blogs including your July list.
Need to comment that in my experience blackberry suckers as badly as kikuyu, travelling metres under concrete path to adjacent beds. Two garden sacks later, it is slowly turning to compost, and new shoots are removed weekly. The beds are open, rather than containers, and great for nutrient exchange, however this one was also next to the house, so it was an easier decision to remove it.
Fascinated by the details of peanuts, grew chickpeas in a similar way, look forward to trying peanuts as a groundcover.
Happy spring.
H Kirsten. Thanks for reaching out. We had wild blackberries in our old place and it was a nightmare how quickly it spread! That’s why there is a ‘maybe’ before it on the list – I really want to grow more berry fruit for smoothies and things but am still in the process of weight effort vs reward. The raspberries are always escaping their bed but a regular trim keeps them under control.
Peanuts are such a fun thing to grow. I hope you have fabulous growing season. : o)