Garden critical path: Order beds now → Table haul + yard cleanup (this week/weekend) → Fence DIY (first available weekend) → Bed 2 assembled + soil in → Plant by May 1
Threshold April pressure: Art drops Apr 3, ~10, ~17, ~24 — these are weekly. Book One draft begins this month. Contest check Apr 1 (today).
April 2026 — the sprint
Check writing contests — Apr 1
Already on your Threshold doc. Do this today.
Alexei Petrov drop — Apr 3
Hint at human lover. Already scheduled per your doc.
Dmitri art drop — ~Apr 10
Mikhail art drop — ~Apr 24
Begin Book One draft
Even just outlining or scene 1. Get the momentum going alongside the yard chaos.
Order both raised beds — TODAY
Walmart ships Apr 6. Order now so you have them in hand before build weekend.
Haul table — this week (dedicated day)
Break into 3 parts, haul away. Clear the backyard canvas.
Level side yard, remove rocks
Can do this same day or next. Bed 1 spot is simpler — just needs flat ground.
Assemble Bed 1 (side yard) + soil in
~45 cu ft soil. Do this as soon as beds arrive (~Apr 6+).
🌱 Plant Bed 1: lettuce, spinach, strawberries, carrots
Lettuce & spinach go in immediately. Strawberries & carrots after Apr 15 (last frost window).
DIY fence weekend
Pick a weekend once table is gone and yard is clear. Needs to be done before Bed 2 goes in.
Clear & level backyard, assemble Bed 2 + soil
After fence is done. Get soil in and bed ready to plant by May 1.
May 2026 — both beds live, draft underway
AO3 drop #1 — Noah & Nathan's first time
First public fiction drop of the series. Big moment.
Book One draft continues
Garden is planted and mostly hands-off now — more writing time opens up.
🌱 Plant Bed 2 (backyard) — by May 1
Tomatoes (Roma + Sun Gold), bell pepper, jalapeño, serrano as transplants. Marigold border.
Finish Bed 1 planting — zucchini & herbs
These go in after May 1 frost safety window. Bed 1 is now fully planted.
Stake tomatoes early
Do it now, not when they're falling over. Florida Weave or cage.
Both beds establishing — low maintenance phase begins
Water, watch, enjoy. Cairo & Caleb can start raiding the lettuce.
June – August 2026 — harvest season + heavy drafting
Sera & Fae together reveal
Big sapphic energy drop. Your audience has been waiting.
Book One draft — building momentum
Garden is in full grow mode, low effort. Use the freed time here.
🍓 Strawberry harvest begins
Cairo & Caleb's favorite month is incoming.
🥬 Lettuce & spinach harvest — cut and come again
Peppers & tomatoes growing — no action needed yet
Lena & MJ mother/son reveal
AO3 drop #2 — Jack & Emily
Book One — midpoint push
Target: past the halfway mark by end of July.
🥒 Zucchini absolutely producing — share with neighbors or freeze
🌶️ Jalapeño & serrano harvest begins
Keep boys away from this end of Bed 2.
Tomatoes starting to ripen
Nathan piece
RIP Nathan drop is coming in September — these set it up.
Book One — final push toward Dec target
🍅 Tomato peak — freeze or roast excess Roma
🥕 Carrot harvest — dog treat bonanza for Cairo & Caleb
🫑 Bell pepper harvest — red ones are sweetest
🌱 Replant lettuce & spinach for fall harvest
First fall frost ~Oct 10-15. Replant now for a full second round.
Sep – Dec 2026 — Threshold intensifies, garden winds down
Sep — RIP Nathan drop
Your audience will not be okay.
Sep — AO3 drop #3, Sera & Fae #1
Oct — Emily (patient zero) piece
Nov — Turned Emily reveal
Nov — AO3 drop #4, Sera & Fae #2
Dec — First zombie pieces
Dec — Book One first draft complete 🎉
Target from your Threshold doc. Garden is done, full focus available.
Sep — Fall lettuce & spinach harvest
Second round pays off. More carrot dog treats.
Sep/Oct — Dry & store jalapeños and serranos
Oct — Beds wind down before first frost (~Oct 10-15)
Nov — Cover crop both beds to feed soil over winter
🍓 Strawberries will return next spring on their own
Year 2 is peak production. Cairo & Caleb don't know what's coming.
The logic of running these together
April is the crunch — art drops weekly, and the garden needs the most hands-on setup. But they don't actually conflict:
yard work is physical and outdoor,
Threshold is creative and indoor. By May, the garden flips to low-maintenance mode and frees up mental space right when the Book One draft needs momentum. By December, both beds are dormant and you're finishing your first draft. It fits.