Okay, it's Spring... feeling overwhelmed? Everywhere you look there's something to do. Yikes!
Spring in the garden is a joyous time, but hectic too. I've discovered a few simple tricks to reduce my stress so that I can enjoy my Spring garden without the guilt.
Walk around your garden in the morning with a cup of coffee (for me it's tea) and just look around. Right now, you'll see new foliage emerging and you'll remember, "Oh yeah I have that coming up."
Sometimes it's difficult to imagine what you liked and did not like from the previous year. (I always think I'll remember, but then I don't.) So what I like to do is start a list of 'likes and dislikes' and 'to-dos' that I add to throughout the growing season , like 'Garden Notes.' This helps me a great deal and reduces my stress.
However, if you don't have any 'Garden Notes' yet, here are 6 ways to get organized and reduce your stress:
1. Start with your front. If your front looks neat and tidy, this will make you feel more relaxed and give you a feeling of accomplishment and beautiful Spring curb appeal!
2. Put on some music! Music in the Garden energizes me, makes my garden chores more fun and keeps me moving along.
3. Concentrate on a few activities and complete them. This is a smarter strategy than trying to be everywhere at once and not succeeding anywhere.
4. Work berm by berm. Cut down grasses and evergreen ferns, prune summer blooming trees and shrubs. Be on the lookout for dead and diseased wood in trees and shrubs and prune them out. Give your lawn a good start - aerate, thatch and fertilize. And, don't forget to bait for slugs. (I like to use organic Sluggo Plus.)
5. Weed whenever you see a weed! If there's one thing that you have to stay on top of in our maritime northwest gardens, it's weeds. I especially do this method in my front and back. On the side of the house, where I store my extra plant material, I'll weed all at once every few weeks.
6. Feed your plants with an organic mulch. Mulching feeds your plants, helps retain moisture and keeps weeds down. The best time to do this is late Winter or Spring. The only time you don't want to mulch is in the heat of summer. Once I get the mulching done, I feel more relaxed because I know my plants are getting a healthy start on the season.
Finally, after a busy work day in the garden, take the time to luxuriate in your garden. I love 'walking my garden' with a glass of wine and enjoying the beauty and the fruits of my labor!
Enjoy your Spring garden, and as always love hearing from you!
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop me a line in the comment box below.
Till the next time...
Holly ~ Your Queen Bee at The White Pear