Oh, August, you sultry, full on summer month you. I have a
love/hate relationship with August because of all the heat and humidity in the
south. I walk past my flower beds and cringe at the weeds popping up and the
slightly uncared for vibe I seem to be cultivating this summer. I vow to get
out there before it gets “too” hot tomorrow, but that’s the problem with
August- it is just plain hot and it makes me lazy! I wish my flowerbeds looked like this, but sadly they don't even come close anymore.
Gardening is more than
a passing hobby to me, it feeds my soul and I miss the daily rewards when I don’t
garden. I know I need to get back on track, just like a runner or dancer would
after a hiatus from training. I’ve come up with 4 tips to ease back in to
gardening after a break so I can be ready for fall and all its gardening glory
and I wanted to share them with you today.
Tip One: Be kind
and stop comparing my garden to others!
The first tip is what I would tell anyone trying something
new, or reaching for a goal. Be kind to yourself. I’m going to cease all
negative talk about the state of my garden and move forward. In keeping with the kindness vein, I will
also stop garden comparisons! It does me no good to see what others have done
right now, which leads me to tip two.
Tip Two: Make a
plan of action.
You know I love a good plan around here, so for me to
overlook putting gardening time on my busy schedule was a recipe for disaster.
If I’m honest here – I knew back at the beginning of June that I wasn’t
allocating enough to gardening endeavors and I erroneously assumed life would
slow down and I’d hit it hard the next weekend, but that next weekend never
came. Now, I’m trying to make bite size jobs out of the mess that remains. That’s
tip three.
Tip Three: Take
small steps towards your goal.
I’ve decided the best course of action for me here is to
break up my gardening tasks into 15 minute increments, like this. Since I work at home, my schedule is a little more flexible.
- Early- morning (after kids are on bus and hubby is off to work): pull weeds and dead head a quarter section of front flower bed. Add Vinca and Marigolds to borders and containers to add pops of color now.
- Mid- morning break: water all container plants/herbs. Dead head as needed. Pick tomatoes/berries as needed.
- Late afternoon: take a 15 walk around property with family. Make mental notes of what needs done. Pick up sticks/branches as needed. Take to burn pile.
- Dusk: Water again as needed. Fill bird feeders. Change bird bath water. Start adding mulch to cleared areas.
Tip four: Visualize what your garden looks like in the next season and add plantings where needed.
I’ve always thought of our home as a “fall” home. Maybe it’s
because we first looked at our home and bought it in the fall. I fell in love
with the trees and pond and beautiful sweeping green lawns. Maybe it’s because
secretly, I’m a fall gardener at heart, preferring the rich colors of Mums and
Asters and the blessedly cooler temperatures. Whatever the reason, my lack of gardening this summer is going to make
planning for fall critical.
Thankfully, I made note of what was doing well in
my garden last fall, so I know I need to focus on bulbs this fall. Some bulbs
need to be divided, like my bearded Iris, while I’ll need to replace other
bulbs like Crocus because an industrious critter dug the up.
Now that I’ve mapped out ways to get my garden back on
track, I will be adding a daily gardening task reminder to my planner and on my
phone, just like I would for exercising or picking up the girls from an after
school event, because gardening is such a rewarding way to spend your time. Communing
with nature is great for the body, mind and spirit.
Please share in comments: Do you have a favorite gardening
season? What makes it your favorite season?
Posts
