My backyard had been beating me for years. It’s big, woodland, weedy — and I love nature, but I have never loved gardening. Every spring I’d tell myself “this is the year,” and every summer I’d come back from birding or camping to find it had turned into a jungle while I wasn’t looking. I finally sat down with AI and described the actual problem — not a plant list, the feeling. Describe the feeling, not the task. Most people ask AI for a plant list or a chemical to kill weeds, and that’s fine, but it gets you a checklist. I told it I was embarrassed in front of my neighbors, that I loved nature but hated gardening, and that I was worried this would only get harder as I get older. That honesty is what got me a completely different kind of answer. The insight that changed everything. Stop trying to control every inch of your yard. Decide who gets to win in each space. Instead of fighting weeds, I could design spaces where something else — native grasses, aggressive perennials, a tree garden — simply out-competes them naturally. A real plan for a real yard. AI helped me map out a wildflower and prairie strip along my fence (mow, don’t weed), a shaded tree garden in the back built around my existing silver maple, and a “problem area” replaced with vigorous native plants instead of constant spraying. Even my pile of pruned branches became an intentional woodpile — a bird and animal corridor instead of a mess. Seeing it before building it. The part that really sold me was asking AI to generate images of what the plan would actually look like — from above for tree placement, from my deck, even projected 10 and 20 years out. Photos made a 20-year tree decision feel real in a way a list of Latin names never could. A reading nook in the trees. Once the bones of the yard were in place, I asked for one more thing: a small, simple structure tucked into a gap in the trees where I could read and feel surrounded by nature without leaving my own backyard. Twelve feet by twelve feet, screened from mosquitoes, exactly the kind of space I didn’t know how to ask for until I saw it. Where AI hands off to a human. AI doesn’t know my soil, my deer pressure, or my HOA. So I took the plan to a local nursery, and the guy there was able to take AI’s general suggestions — “shade-tolerant tree here, sun-loving tree there” — and turn them into a pagoda dogwood, a redbud, and a cherry tree that actually fit my exact conditions. The framework did the thinking; the local expert did the specifics. This was never really about the weeds. It was about having a place I actually wanted to be in. If you’ve got a project where you keep fighting the same battle every year, try describing the feeling instead of the task — embarrassing parts included — and see what kind of answer you get back. Find all my podcasts at jillfromthenorthwoods.com, or email me at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com — I’d love to hear what you build. Jill’s Links http://jillfromthenorthwoods.com https://www.youtube.com/@startwithsmallsteps https://www.buymeacoffee.com/startwithsmallsteps https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com By choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal experiences and opinions and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. I am not a software developer, data scientist, or AI professional. Any tips, tools, or suggestions offered should not be considered a substitute for professional technical advice. AI tools and platforms change frequently — always verify current features, pricing, and terms directly with the providers. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content.
