Over the years I’ve noticed there are some habits I have as a gardener that I credit with both a productive garden and also feeling much more relaxed about the whole thing.
i enjoyed this. Sorry not to upgrade but at 85 I'm on a budget. I hope you don't mind me tagging along. I can't grow veg because the bottom of my garden is a flood meadow and above that it's too steep .It's heavy clay so is hard to dig. I revel in my flowers which include lots of local wild plants, especially along the edge of the brook. I don't believe there is such a thing as a weed although I do remove plants that become invasive and threaten to swamp other more desirable species - hence my ongoing battle is with Goosegrass and Himalayan Balsam. Nettles are removed because they sting and there's a big patch across the brook so butterflies lay their eggs there. I love Thistles and so do the goldfinches. The flood brings in nutrients and seeds 3-4 times a year so it's an ever-changing situation which I love - so do the birds and even an occasional otter. Lucky me!
Absolutely - I have the free newsletters for exactly this reason so that everyone can follow along 😊 it sounds like you have a wonderful set up where you are, and a lovely balance.
That is a beee-yoo-tiful crop of dandelions. I love them. I let them grow in the cracks between setts in my old stable yard. I don't have horses, so after two years in this house I stopped weeding and power-washing because 1) it disturbed the ants and earthworms and woodlice and 2) I love most of the 'weeds' anyway. Dandelions make me smile and I like them so much I've designed ones out of crepe paper and wire to keep in my house. (This was accomplished by pulling apart real dandelions and sketching them...now who's an obsessive note-taking loser?)
I love this post Jack, a good reminder to keep planting, dividing etc. (around now I've noticed I get a bit of plant overwhelm). I'm also very impressed with your note taking, spreadsheets etc. The most I can manage is a few photos but I keep every plant label/seed packet so I know the plant details. Anyway, thank you!
Thanks Deborah, I suppose I'm impressed with myself I've stuck with it! I started a spreadsheet when I first started planting our old London garden and that has stood in good stead all these years later. Perhaps because I write about gardens so much it keeps me updating it. Either way, you're basically doing the same thing by keeping the labels and seed packets.
Great post. So useful, as an amateur gardener but with an ‘obsession’ (to use your word!)and a career around gardens, so much of your post rings true and is useful. I’m off on a three day trip to shoot gardens (sitting at Exeter services having coffee!) but if I’m honest, I’d rather be in my own garden ‘prioritising!’
Lovely words as ever Jack. I like your ethos regarding keep growing plants it’s so true you just need to get them out there sometimes and I hadn’t really equated it to what I also do. I plant them out, mulch with homemade compost and off they go covering the soil and I’m improving my poor dry soil each time too ! I’m definitely going to lean into that more as a positive rather than feeling slightly stressed about getting things out.
I love the concept of habits that help one work in the garden with greater relaxation and joy by gardening with respect for the land and the ways of plants. Your thoughts about dandelions were especially helpful. The Spring sprouts dandelions everywhere. I have dandelions growing inside other plants. My North Garden (sounds more impressive than it is - it is simply a 30'x 10' foot area that faces North) is practically a dandelion sanctuary. I think now I might just let them alone and simply clear the area around the plants that are pushing forward (clematis, foxglove, columbine—a few lovely plants I don't recognize). Having to dig up all of those dandelions is so exhausting that I procrastinate. PS: Is Amazon the only way to get Wild About Weeds here in New York State? Not a problem, but I like to make sure. Thank you for all that you do.
When we moved in 3 years ago our garden was just a patch of tatty lawn, but it is ours. We rented before and all the work I did was for improvement and nature. I still miss my pond. I’ve made a new one, but it’s not established yet. My garden is nowhere near where I would like it to be, and still feels like a boring square, but I’m getting there bit by bit on virtually zero budget. I’m always growing stuff that I have nowhere to put, so I shove it in planters or dig up another bit of lawn!
I suspect our conditions similar to yours here in the north Scottish Highlands, although we’re costal.Lots of things struggle although my fig has settled quite happily thankfully.
I’m rubbish at remembering what things are and recording what I do, so that’ll definitely be a takeaway for me.
i enjoyed this. Sorry not to upgrade but at 85 I'm on a budget. I hope you don't mind me tagging along. I can't grow veg because the bottom of my garden is a flood meadow and above that it's too steep .It's heavy clay so is hard to dig. I revel in my flowers which include lots of local wild plants, especially along the edge of the brook. I don't believe there is such a thing as a weed although I do remove plants that become invasive and threaten to swamp other more desirable species - hence my ongoing battle is with Goosegrass and Himalayan Balsam. Nettles are removed because they sting and there's a big patch across the brook so butterflies lay their eggs there. I love Thistles and so do the goldfinches. The flood brings in nutrients and seeds 3-4 times a year so it's an ever-changing situation which I love - so do the birds and even an occasional otter. Lucky me!
Absolutely - I have the free newsletters for exactly this reason so that everyone can follow along 😊 it sounds like you have a wonderful set up where you are, and a lovely balance.
That is a beee-yoo-tiful crop of dandelions. I love them. I let them grow in the cracks between setts in my old stable yard. I don't have horses, so after two years in this house I stopped weeding and power-washing because 1) it disturbed the ants and earthworms and woodlice and 2) I love most of the 'weeds' anyway. Dandelions make me smile and I like them so much I've designed ones out of crepe paper and wire to keep in my house. (This was accomplished by pulling apart real dandelions and sketching them...now who's an obsessive note-taking loser?)
Haha that IS a good dandelion obsession, I love the idea of indoor paper ones like that well done!
I feel so encouraged after reading your post.
I love this post Jack, a good reminder to keep planting, dividing etc. (around now I've noticed I get a bit of plant overwhelm). I'm also very impressed with your note taking, spreadsheets etc. The most I can manage is a few photos but I keep every plant label/seed packet so I know the plant details. Anyway, thank you!
Thanks Deborah, I suppose I'm impressed with myself I've stuck with it! I started a spreadsheet when I first started planting our old London garden and that has stood in good stead all these years later. Perhaps because I write about gardens so much it keeps me updating it. Either way, you're basically doing the same thing by keeping the labels and seed packets.
Many thanks, as ever love reading your posts, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Gerard 🌱
Great post. So useful, as an amateur gardener but with an ‘obsession’ (to use your word!)and a career around gardens, so much of your post rings true and is useful. I’m off on a three day trip to shoot gardens (sitting at Exeter services having coffee!) but if I’m honest, I’d rather be in my own garden ‘prioritising!’
Thank you - have fun on your photography trip!
Lovely words as ever Jack. I like your ethos regarding keep growing plants it’s so true you just need to get them out there sometimes and I hadn’t really equated it to what I also do. I plant them out, mulch with homemade compost and off they go covering the soil and I’m improving my poor dry soil each time too ! I’m definitely going to lean into that more as a positive rather than feeling slightly stressed about getting things out.
I guess that’s it really, if you work around the garden one plant at a time, gradually you’ve actually done quite a lot.
I love the concept of habits that help one work in the garden with greater relaxation and joy by gardening with respect for the land and the ways of plants. Your thoughts about dandelions were especially helpful. The Spring sprouts dandelions everywhere. I have dandelions growing inside other plants. My North Garden (sounds more impressive than it is - it is simply a 30'x 10' foot area that faces North) is practically a dandelion sanctuary. I think now I might just let them alone and simply clear the area around the plants that are pushing forward (clematis, foxglove, columbine—a few lovely plants I don't recognize). Having to dig up all of those dandelions is so exhausting that I procrastinate. PS: Is Amazon the only way to get Wild About Weeds here in New York State? Not a problem, but I like to make sure. Thank you for all that you do.
Just brilliant.
When we moved in 3 years ago our garden was just a patch of tatty lawn, but it is ours. We rented before and all the work I did was for improvement and nature. I still miss my pond. I’ve made a new one, but it’s not established yet. My garden is nowhere near where I would like it to be, and still feels like a boring square, but I’m getting there bit by bit on virtually zero budget. I’m always growing stuff that I have nowhere to put, so I shove it in planters or dig up another bit of lawn!
I suspect our conditions similar to yours here in the north Scottish Highlands, although we’re costal.Lots of things struggle although my fig has settled quite happily thankfully.
I’m rubbish at remembering what things are and recording what I do, so that’ll definitely be a takeaway for me.
Your garden always looks amazing!