Gardening Tip: Keeping Up with the Garden

Ruth Dobsevage, editor

2 users recommend

Blue the husky would love to double-dig the lawn AND all the garden beds, but rarely gets a chance. Instead, he prances around the property on a leash while I inspect the various plantings.

Photo: Ruth Dobsevage

Add Comment
Print

If you'd really like to start a small vegetable garden but are wondering how you’ll ever have the time to maintain it, here’s a deceptively simple suggestion: Walk by it every day. If you happen to be a dog owner, that shouldn’t be difficult. When my pet husky, Blue, needs to stretch his paws and a trip to the park isn’t in the offing, we make a circuit around the property. That’s when I check out what needs weeding, pruning, or picking, and what needs a closer look.

A good time for that closer look is suppertime. Before I make a meal, I grab a colander and a pruner and head for my garden to see what’s ripe. While I’m there, I check out everything else. A floppy tomato plant? I tie it to its stake, or prune it. A weed in the basil bed? Out it comes. 

With gardening, there’s rarely anything that needs to happen RIGHT NOW, unless it’s dealing with a woodchuck that has breached the fence. Most of what you identify will need doing soon, so you can add it to your mental chore list and take care of it when you can.

When some free time pops up, select a garden task that you can finish in the available time. Maybe you can’t weed everything while the baby’s napping, but you can clean up the lettuce bed. That way you’ll have the satisfaction of actually completing something. Save major overhauls for major leisure; it’s less frustrating that way.

Add Comment Print

Edible Flowers Enliven a Garden

The Starter Garden

Comments (1)

ChrisMcLaughlin writes: This is something that has to become a habit for me. I go for months without having to think much about gardening.

Then I get all crazy with the planting come spring and have to remember to go out and give it a little lovin'! Thanks for the tip!
Posted: 3:12 pm on March 25th

You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.