🧠Systems19 liveFree working copies
Garden systems
Each system is one page for one garden job: whether to do it, the steps in order, what goes wrong, and a free one-page working copy to print.
7 live
Soil and mulch
7 steps🧠SystemRefresh border mulch: measure each bed, then buy only the gapMeasure the old layer in every bed before you order. One example yard needs 23 bags of 2 cu ft, not 45. The steps, the 3 inch limit and a free mulch record.Open the system 
7 steps🧠SystemTurn fall leaves into bed cover and mulch, and keep a tally of the bagsWhat to do with fall leaves: mow a thin layer into the lawn, shred the rest and spread 2 to 3 inches on beds. Free leaf haul tally to print.Open the system 
6 steps🧠SystemFall raised bed reset: clear, top up and cover for winterPut a raised bed to bed in fall: clear finished plants, measure how far the soil sank, top it up with compost and cover it with leaves. Free checklist.Open the system 
7 steps🧠SystemFill a tall raised bed for less: wood below, soil on topUnder 17 inches, fill with soil. Taller, put logs and leaves in the lower half: a 4 x 8 bed 24 in tall takes 16 bags of soil, not 32. Free layer fill plan.Open the system 
7 steps🧠SystemStart a new in-ground bed this fall: dig in compost or build on the lawnTwo ways to turn lawn into a bed this fall: a 4 x 10 ft bed takes 5 bags of compost dug in, or free leaves now and 3 to 5 bags in spring. Free bed log.Open the system 
8 steps🧠SystemBuild the base for a paver patio or gravel path, from the string line to the sandSet a string, dig paver plus sand plus gravel, compact in layers, edge it. A 10 x 12 patio takes a 7 3/8 in dig and 67 bags of gravel. Free checklist.Open the system 
7 steps🧠SystemKeep a soil and mulch purchase record, with every label in cubic feetTurn every bag label and bulk quote into cubic feet before you pay. One example fall list needs 55.41 cu ft, or 48 bags. Steps, units and a free purchase log.Open the system
1 live
Beds
10 live
Zones
7 steps🧠SystemFrost date worksheet: set your last and first frost once, plan the year from itLook up your zip code's NOAA frost dates, pick the station most like your yard, write four dates on a card and count planting and fall jobs from them.Open the system 
9 steps🧠SystemGarlic planting in zones 3 to 5: wait for the frost, then plantPlant garlic in zones 3 to 5 a week or two after your first fall frost: set the week, count cloves, plant 2 to 3 inches deep, mulch 3 to 4 inches and log it.Open the system 
8 steps🧠SystemGarlic planting in zones 6 to 7: one bed plan, from frost date to JunePlant garlic in zones 6 to 7 from your own frost date: set the October week, count cloves for the bed, order heads, plant 2 inches deep, mulch and log it.Open the system 
9 steps🧠SystemGarlic planting in zones 8 to 10: plant in October, let winter chill itPlant garlic in zones 8 to 10 in October, ahead of the first frost: count the cloves, set them 1 to 3 inches deep, mulch once shoots show and log the harvest.Open the system 
6 steps🧠SystemKnow your USDA zone: look it up once, use it every seasonFind your 2023 USDA hardiness zone by zip code, write it on a zone card, and check plant tags against it, with two zones of margin for pots.Open the system 
7 steps🧠SystemKeep a plant hardiness log: what you planted, and what came backWrite down each perennial's tag zones, your zone and the spot, then check it every spring. A free one-page hardiness log, with the gap math by half zone.Open the system 
8 steps🧠SystemPlanting tulips and daffodils in zones 3 to 5: one bed plan, from frost date to frozen groundPlant spring bulbs in zones 3 to 5 around your first frost: daffodils from mid-September, tulips last, 6 to 8 inch holes, water, mulch and a written map.Open the system 
8 steps🧠SystemPlanting tulips and daffodils in zones 6 to 7: one bed plan, from frost date to AprilPlant tulips and daffodils in zones 6 to 7 from your own frost date: pick the week, count bulbs for the bed, dig 8 inch holes, mulch, water and log the bloom.Open the system 
7 steps🧠SystemPlanting tulips in zones 8 to 10: one plan from the fridge to the bedTulips in zones 8 to 10: chill bulbs 6 to 8 weeks or more in the fridge, plant late December to early January about 5 inches deep, and log the bloom.Open the system 
7 steps🧠SystemMap the warm and cold spots in your own yardYour zone covers a half-mile square. Map your own yard's warm walls, frost pockets and shade in one weekend, then plant by it. Free microclimate sheet.Open the system
1 live
Containers
Six parts, every time
What a system page gives you
First, whether to do the job yourself, skip it this year, or get help.
Then the steps in order, each with what to have ready.
What goes wrong when a step gets skipped, and the variants that change the steps.
One primary source we checked the steps against, and a free one-page working copy to print.
Photos: Roger Starnes Sr / Unsplash, Ehsan Mahpour / Unsplash, Greta Hoffman / Pexels and 7 more, see photo credits