What to do when your gardening energy runs low

[Cynthia]

Hi everyone,
I love gardening and generally have a huge amount of energy for it. But I have noticed that late in the summer, I don't really crave getting in there to work, or clean out beds, or whatever.

Patti, I know this is your business, so there is motivation there, but beyond that, how do you stay motivated?

Any ideas for really small garden duties that I could do so that I was doing something in the garden rather than saying, "Nah, I'll do it tomorrow"

[gardengirl72]

That is a great question. It is pretty complicated for me. Because when I do projects on camera I am always doing the same thing at least three times. And that is if I am lucky and don't get tongue tied. It just makes it so much harder then when I just did it, both physically and mentally. But, I think that because I tied the two things I love most together, gardening and film making, I am able to truly enjoy it.

So, I think I try to simply stay "in tuned" with the instinctual parts of living, being a mom and planning ahead into winter, brings variety, motivation and fun. Today, I tore up a garden bed with my new toy, the Cobra Head weeder, and started up my brand new fall/winter garden, its perfect timing, because I am bored with it now and un motivated, so its time to start over!

After that was done, I started looking at the rest of the garden, past the weeds, broken plants and dying leaves and realized it was time to take the Basil(two raised beds). So I pulled up all the basil in two raised beds and spent the rest of the day making a huge amount of the tastiest pesto ever with the family. Then I put up thirty half pint jars of pesto(my husband went to the hardware store twice for me to get more jars), and now have my winter stash of garden pesto, plus a garden waiting to be re organized and planted (the fun part again).

So to make a long story short, the end summer I stay motivated by doing what women have been doing forever, stashing food for winter and putting in my bumper crop. I don't even feel like a gardener right now, I feel more like a squirel. Now I am watching the remnants of Tropical storm Hanna hit my garden and break up some more of my plants.

[Cynthia]

This is helpful.

I took a tip from you and made soup from my tomatoes and will load up on Parmigiano-Reggiano for a pesto making extravaganza next weekend.

As I thought about my question and your response, I realized that part f what is holding me back is one of my raised beds that did not work out - I only have 4 beds, 3 are raised. The lettuces were great, but many bolted, some wild sunflowers showed up and were great for the birds, but not so great for allowing sunlight. One tomato plant did fabulous and the other barely produced. Onions, carrots and beans were only mediocre production wise.

So the bed is a reminder of all that. And I think in a Feng Shui sort of way, it is taking energy from me and the rest of the garden. So I am going to finish my coffee and get out there to clean it all out.

How did you like your cobra head weeder? Did you choose the long or short handle?

[gardengirl72]

This is the time to start over and get a quick bumper crop going. I actually got both the long and the short handle cobra heads. I am mostly and hand tool kind of gal so I gravitate towards the short handle, but the long one looks like it will work out great in my orchard area's that are hard to reach.

[RedStateGreen]

I have low energy as the result of a disability (which is what I thought this thread was about :D ) and I manage that by telling myself I will go out for five minutes. Sometimes I get more out than that, depending on the heat and humidity, which is hard for me to take.

Right now I'm very motivated, as I enjoy gardening in fall the most. :)

[gardengirl72]

Do what you can. A little goes a long way.

[AbbeyLehman]

Do what you can. A little goes a long way.

That's the truth! Just 5 minutes of weeding makes a whole section of my garden look almost as good as yours! :)

[Backyard Permaculture]

One of the functions of Permaculture is that everything has duel purpose and use. Pulling weeds can provide a fresh salad for your chickens, which provide good fertilizer for your garden.

you don't want to be the weak link in the chain.

Believe me, the chickens WANT to do thier part converting weeds to fertilizer

Ron

[plantoneonme]

I'm not as motivated this time of year either. I think that being cooped up all winter gets us craving the spring and thus the energy. I now look for bonuses that I am finding in the garden...how many worms moved into my new beds means it will be healthier next year, how wonderful the compost I made is looking, watching the butterflies and bees doing their thing etc. I look forward to finding something wonderful in the garden every day even though I am pulling up weeds and spent plants.

My new thing is learning how to save seeds. I look at those raggity plants in a whole new way now...as next years food!

Kim

[Sinfonian]

ROFL, and I just thought it was my lazy behind. I got de-motivated around that time too. The heat, the busy social schedule, getting tired of the same veggies day in and day out, lack of creativity with them. It all factored into it.

What gets me motivated again is a to-do list (my blog is full of them, mostly on Thursdays) and having projects to accomplish. Maybe it's a guy thing that we like to accomplish things. But those two things get me motivated, then it's infectious.

Hehe I thought this thread was going to be about when you're exhausted from a day of gardening. Then I take a break, grab a drink of water and do something different to use different muscles.

Great question, thanks for all the insight into the human psyche!