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Lacking motivation
Have you’ve ever gotten into a gardening funk? Gone a full week without having any motivation to get outside and do yard work? With all of the hot weather happening across the country, more and more yards are starting to show some neglect as homeowners would rather be in the air conditioning than outside under the hot sun.
I am currently in one of those funks. I know that there is lots I should be doing— not just for this year, but also in prep for next year’s vegetable garden as well. Luckily for me, the recent lack of rain in my area has slowed down a lot of the plant growth—including the grass—which buys me a little extra time. Also working in my favour, I’ve been through this before and I know exactly how to get out of it. I’ve done my research on this topic and tried all of the different solutions. Here are a few that work for me.
Stop trying to do something outside. Even just taking on the small stuff tends to get me more frustrated about the bigger jobs that I should be doing. Instead, leave the property and go somewhere that has beautiful gardens that someone else is paid to take care of. I love going to parks, arbouretums, even golf clubs and see what other experts are doing in their outdoor spaces. Sometimes just being surrounded by happy and healthy plants is enough to kick start your engine.
Read books, magazines or go on gardening websites to look at pretty pictures. I am a huge fan of going online and doing random searches of backyard spaces. I’ve also had a subscription to several great gardening magazines from the UK including Fine Gardening. My creative juices start to flow looking at amazing pergolas covered in wisteria or even a picture-perfect shaded space where the designer has blended plants in pockets of sunlight. I’ll also go to a bookstore and buy a bunch of magazines. There is something about sitting in the shade and looking at higloss pictures that helps me love plants again.
If all else fails, start shopping for next year’s seeds. Sounds a bit grim already thinking about next year, but planning your new project is a great way to motivate yourself into getting some of the preparation done this year. Seeds often go on sale now, so stocking up is a great way to save some money and to put a little pep back into your gardening mojo. I’ve already started getting seeds delivered to the house of some of the new tomatoes I want to grow.
Try a few of these motivational techniques and before you know it, you’ll be excited to get back into your outdoor space. Just make sure to put on lots of sunscreen—it’s going to be a long summer ahead of us.
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