Yesterday I was helping a regular client prune several woody shrubs away from a deck she’ll be renovating this summer. The shrub work was long past due, but together we made great progress. As we were working she asked, “Robin, how many hours a week do you spend working in your garden?”
Stone & Filled Beds Make for Easy Summer Care
Hmmm…that was like getting the job interview question you’re completely unprepared for. Fortunately, I wasn’t interviewing for a job as the question gave me pause. How much time do I spend working in my own garden in a week?
I answered my client honestly. I barely have time and energy left this time of year to get out in my own garden. My hands are exhausted from pruning and weeding and typing and writing all day, so my own weeds flourish and my shrubs thrive despite the work I know I should devote to them.
Fortunately, I’ve invested almost a decade developing my garden, which has a lot of stone work. And, stones don’t require a lot of maintenance. And, my beds are quite full from years of planting, dividing and spreading perennials. Some I regret and now classify in the weed department (Alstromeria & cat mint rules this regret.) Still, I would like to have garden perfection with zero weeds, perfectly coiffed shrubs and pest-free cabbages. But, time is at a premium. And when free evenings bring lightening storms and hail such as we had last night, I miss out on my rare opportunities to weed away the evening sunlight.
So, to answer the question. I find myself puttering through the garden with coffee each morning most days of the year for a good 30 minutes or so. I visit my potted garden and greenhouse for about 30 minutes a day in spring and summer (at least). I visit my veggie beds daily to harvest (if not to weed and plant and water) for about 20 minutes a day. And, when I have an actual day to really get out there. Well, those are the days I can put in a good 8-10 hours renovating big spaces and making progress pruning those shrubs, pulling those weeds, squashing those slugs and dressing up the finished areas with a nutrious layer of composted mulch. And, of course, I try to wind down sunny evenings sitting in the garden with a glass of wine or iced tea — and odds are, I’ll pull another weed while I’m at it. So shall we say I spend a good hour or two, on an average day, working in the garden (and sometimes quite a bit more.)
Now that I’ve wrapped up this thought, I’m going to escape into my own garden for a rare two hour, mid-day weed-a-thon. Wish me luck!
Tags: garden coach, Garden Maintenance, Greenhouse, Pruning, slugs, veggie garden, Weeding, weeds
