Encouraging Yourself To Spend More Time In The Garden

 

I don’t know about you, but during lockdown, I’ve definitely spent more time in the garden. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for years, but somehow work gets in the way.

I usually feel a bit bad about this. All the ‘shoulds’, ‘oughts’ and ‘musts’ pile up – I should be growing more food, I ought to pant more plants for bees, I must get around to weeding that area at the end of the garden – I’m sure you know how it is.

So this year I’ve actually done something about it. We are growing more food, the bees are loving the little piece of paradise I’ve put aside for them and we’ve got around to repairing the fence and pulling out some of the nettles (we’ve left some for the insects of course!)

I’ve realised that making your garden a space you actually WANT to be in, is key – duh! So there are also areas now to relax in and play in – yep, you need to play even when you’re in your forties!

Plant What You Want to See

Don’t plant what everyone else is planting – plant what you want to see! Plant tall flowers that creep up your walls, plant big trees that flower with fruit in the summer, or plant hedges all along your lawns and give yourself some privacy. All in all, plant what you want to see, to ensure you’re in the mood to sit out and enjoy what’s going on out there.

Give Yourself Somewhere to Relax

You know the saying “Stop and smell the roses”, well that requires a lovely space to relax. We have old apple trees at the bottom of our garden which have become very overgrown. This year we’ve cut away dead branches, pruned them back a little to let some light through and have repaired a bench that had fallen apart. This means we’ve got somewhere lovely, in the shade, to relax on a hot day. In addition, we’ve got some Folding Deck Chairs which make it simple to set up a seat whenever we want to enjoy the sun. I’ve been making sure I spend 20 minutes in the sun each day to top up my vitamin D levels.

Prepare for All Weathers

There’s nothing quite like being ready to have a day out in the garden, getting stuck into the soil and making as much progress with your raised beds as possible, only for it to suddenly pour down with rain.

So, buy the right clothing.(there is a saying that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes!), cover your garden with tree coverage, if you have the space to set up a canopy that’ll absorb most of the weather you’ll get in both rainy and sunny seasons. Simply make sure you have the tools on your side for what the weather is doing, and the garden will accommodate for you, and you’ll be able to enjoy it a lot more!

Encouraging yourself to spend more time in the garden doesn’t have to be hard. Plant what you want, make sure it’s cozy, and coat up if need be!