Gardening Blues

Hi Guys

Need some help, i'm trying to get my garden into full swing but can't seem to get motivated to do alot not sure if its becuase i've started at a gym or the weather as i hate it to hot (big chap me so feel the heat). Any ideas i.e. how do you motivate yourself.

 

I would you suggest you garden in the early evening - when its a bit cooler

also do one project at a time; set yourself one task, perhaps get a little list as to what you want to do, then complete it one step at a time. As always with a garden little and often usually gets better results than a big slog

you should then start to see some achievements and enjoy them which might spur you on

loopy

 

I'd pretty much echo what loopy suggests.

I remember when, for various reasons, our garden hadn't been touched for 3 years and the worse it got the less I felt inclined to do anything about/with it, until in the end it just looked an insurmountable problem. I knew I was never going to summon up the enthusiasm to go out there and just 'blitz' it, so I chose one small corner (literally less than 1m square - where the nettles were at their worst) and decided that was where I'd start, but in addition, I also set myself a time limit - I would work for 15 minutes and then stop, whether I'd finished or not (I even took the kitchen timer out with me!).

Having done my 15 minutes of 'nettle pulling', it was amazing how much better the garden looked and I was tempted to carry on, but 15 minutes was what I'd set and 15 minutes was what I'd done. The next day I set myself another 15 minutes, but this time turned the timer off and worked on, just for a short while.

Working on the 'little and often' principle, it was surprising how quickly a garden began to emerge from the 'wreckage' and I wasn't so tired or stiff that it had become a chore. Then, with only bare earth to look at, I bought a couple of trays of cheap, colourful bedding plants, stuck them in and then .... I just wanted to go on and on.

Even though the garden is now unrecognisable from the way it was 4 years ago, I still do my x-number-of-minutes thingy when tackling the 'grotty' jobs - yesterday and today it was setting 8 extra paving slabs into a gravel path - OK, so it's taken 2 days whereas it could probably have been done in a morning, but it is done, done properly because I was stopping before I got bored, I wasn't tempted to rush it just to 'get it done' and, what's more .... I can still stand upright All I have to do now is find a use for 5 old compost bags full of gravel!!

 

Thanks for the tips guys. Went to B&Q today brought some more compost and looking at all the plants and veggies i seemed to get the bug again. Just need to get in the garden. Going to tackle me toms tomorrow needing to be put in their new home, and weed out my parsnips.

 

As you are exercising all day, I would suggest you do an hours gardening in the evening as your warm down.

 

If its not your thing, then its not your THING.

I should do some decorating, but it aint my THING, so I just put it off.:D

 

I lost all my motivation for a while. In my case, it was the absolutely shocking state of the 'soil' that made the whole thing seem too daunting, so I just didn't really do it. That problem has gone away now (after a good lad turned up at my house with two pallet loads of mushroom compost).

I do know what you mean though.

I find that if I start first thing in the morning when I'm off work, I just get on a roll, and get loads done. I think its psychological. I just seem to have more enthusiasm if I start early. Even during the week when I am at work, I still sometimes get half an hour in before I have to leave for work.

Another big motivator is when you get some mates round to give you a hand, in return for a couple of cans. You do a bit of work, swig some beer, have a chinwag, then do a bit more.

Lastly, don't ask too much of yourself. I find that if I set myself to big a task for one day, I just grind myself down and then don't want to do it. On the other hand if I decide I might do a bit, then I found myself doing all sorts of other bits while I'm out there.

 

Been put off the garden by the crash damage, but just forced myself out there to water everything(without washing all the soil downhill due to lack of retaining wall:DOH

Put some yard long beans, blau hide beans and corgettes in.

Makes you despondant when all your hard work is undone in a micro second.

 

Get a comfy chair for the garden and sit out there a few times.
After a while one or two things are likely to irritate you.

Once you sort them out you may spot something else that you can probably sort out with no real problem.

All of a sudden you will realise you are progressing.

Keep the chair active - you never know how far it takes you.

If all else fails, at least you can relax in the open air.

Good luck.

 

I think its the weather, i think because everything has stalled a bit i'd lost heart but today and friday are my 2 gardening days going to try 30min then relax and chill for a bit then another 30mins see if that works. Will let you know how its goes.