Strategies for Carving Out Time for Tending a Garden:
Gardening on a Time Crunch: How to Make it Work
Got no time for a garden? Fret not, my green-thumbed friend! Balancing a busy schedule with a flourishing garden isn't a pipe dream. With these tips, you'll be growing fresh produce in no time.
Embrace Miniature Miracles
The first common mistake fledgling gardeners make is biting off more than they can chew. In the spring, when weeds are growing slowly and the heat isn't sweltering, we dive headfirst into a garden extravaganza. However, by July, maintaining your garden can easily become an overwhelming chore.
If it's your first year, consider planting just one or two raised beds or a compact in-ground garden. You can always expand next year or even plant a fall garden. Starting small enables you to gauge the time commitment gardening requires and adjust accordingly for the following year.
Carve Out Time for Gardening
While it's tempting to dedicate a Saturday in April or May to planting your garden, remember that maintaining and eventually harvesting your crops requires regular attention. I suggest dividing the workload into smaller, manageable chunks. Spending 30 minutes to an hour in the morning and evening (when it's less hot) about four days a week is a good starting point. Even with a 2000+ square foot garden, I manage to keep up with it comfortably in 1-2 hours daily. If you're starting with a few raised beds, you'll be devoting significantly less time.
If weekend gardening doesn't align with your schedule, set aside a few hours each week. Don't forget to pencil it in! Just remember to prioritize it.
Enlist the Family
Children as young as two can help with gardening tasks like placing seeds and pulling weeds. Involving your little ones in the garden will not only lighten your workload but also instill valuable life lessons. When my children were eight and four, they each planted their own raised beds and took great pride in their creations.
Related reading: Age-appropriate ideas to engage children in gardening
Maximize Efficiency with the Right Tools
The two tasks gardeners spend the most time on are watering and weeding. To save precious hours watering your garden, install a drip irrigation system with a timer. One-time setup for this genius system will save you from the tedious task of watering in the future.
Weeding by hand can take up hours of your precious time. Invest in a Rogue Hoe, which will help you prepare beds for planting and clear overgrown areas quickly and effortlessly.
Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
Weeding is the garden enemy, but there's hope! The secret to avoiding weeding is mulching. By spreading a thick layer of mulch over your garden after planting, you'll significantly cut down on your time spent in the garden.
Related reading: Different types of mulch you can use in your garden
Pen Down Your Goals
Remember, if it's important, you'll find the time. Set goals for your garden, such as "growing a constant supply of tomatoes" or "preserving enough food for the entire year". Writing down your goals and keeping them nearby will remind you to allocate time for maintaining your precious garden.
Related reading: Organize your garden with the Simple Garden Planner
Prepare Early
Time management in the garden is essential. Plan ahead by having a garden layout, raised beds, seeds, and tools ready before spring warmth sets in. By doing the preparatory work early, you'll be able to make the most of your gardening time during the growing season.
Pro tip: Enroll in the Beginner's Garden Shortcut online course to kick-start your planning!
Embrace the Time Crunch
Gardening, like anything worthwhile, demands time. But with these tips—especially if you're a garden newbie—you'll be able to optimize your time and savor every moment spent in your verdant oasis. So, whether you choose to plant one raised bed or an entire garden plot, I hope these tips help you make the most of your time in the garden and reap the rewards of your labor.
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- To start small and gauge the time commitment gardening requires, consider using garden printables for planning and designing a compact in-home and garden area, such as a few raised beds or a compact in-ground garden.
- For efficient gardening, take advantage of garden resources like the garden planner and organizer tools to create a schedule for gardening tasks during the busy week, allowing you to fit gardening into your lifestyle.
- To save time and effort in the garden, make use of tools like a drip irrigation system and the Rogue Hoe to ease tasks like watering and weeding.
- To help maximize the time spent in the garden and ensure a bountiful harvest, research different types of mulch available as a solution to ward off weeds and retain moisture in the garden soil.
