Every year in the spring I get stressed out because there are always too many plants that need attention at the same time. This week we haven’t done anything in the garden. I went on a little trip to Malmö to see some friends and celebrate an awesome graduate! It was really nice to get away for a moment and leave the stress of the garden behind. It’s not just all the plants that need attending we also had some trouble to get the soil we wanted. On top of that, the cats still likes to go into the garden and mess things up.
I have a few different ways of handling the stress and keep the motivation up:
- Lists. I make lists. Lots of them! I make lists of what to do and rank the tasks to know how to priorities. I make lists of what to buy to get everything done. And occasionally I make lists of what lists I need to make.
- Focus on the harvest. I also try to think about the harvest. This upcoming week we are really starting to finish up the last of last years harvest. We even made a challenge not to buy any vegetables this week and instead empty the freezer and pantry. It’s really exciting to see how much we actually have left and that gives me energy to continue.
- Go to the store. Another motivator for me is to go to the store and look at prices. Most of the time Affe is the one to do the grocery shopping because it’s most convenient due to our jobs. But once in awhile we go the hole family or I go alone. Looking at those prices knowing that I can produce a better product in terms of impact on the environment and without chemicals, that just makes me wanna grow more!
Okej, I hope this was somewhat useful for you. I guess this time of year is always stressful for gardeners. Just remember to take a moment and enjoy the world around you and appreciate what you have accomplished. Smell the flowers and follow the bees and butterflies. It’s only a short period of time when all of nature brings it all to amaze us!
Grounded gardens 