If you’re reading this, you probably want a simple garden. I did. Maybe like I had, you might have an established garden that’s a complete mess. Or a half-built garden whose work makes you feel overwhelmed. Regardless, you always have something to do and never enough time to do it.
Not only do you have weeds, but you might have old pots, tools, and stuff to clear out. The patio furniture may be rusted (like mine) and you have a hundred little decorations that seemed like what the garden needed when you bought them. But maintaining everything has become a mental and physical drain. You just want an easy, peaceful gardening experience.
You can have that. I know it, because I’ve mostly created a simple garden and it’s made me feel a thousand percent better. After decades of planting, collecting, and maintaining a large garden with several deep borders, a big lawn, two patios, greenhouse, and a water feature, I’ve scaled down. But to do it, I had to change. Not just the physical objects of the garden, but something bigger and more intense. Scarier because it meant letting go of deep psychological stuff, like oh, just my identity.
Take a Hard Look at Yourself
I used to think my garden was “never enough.” There were endless possibilities. I wanted it all. Younger me was enchanted with every cultivar I came across in a book or store and every feature I’d seen in an HGTV episode. And that was great, I was passionate. But, after decades, my garden was big and sometimes beautiful, it was also a project I rarely got on top of. I couldn’t just putter and do maintenance one day a week. It was a garden demanding so much work, I rarely got to enjoy it.
Joshua Becker, author of The Minimalist Home, and I talked about this when we chatted recently. “Notice when your garden crosses over into maintenance rather than relaxation,” he said. “When the maintenance infringes on the purpose.” You might have built a garden so you could have an outdoor sanctuary but years later, that concept is long gone. Now you have too much work and it’s straining your mental health, not enhancing it.
That’s the turning point. When you no longer enjoy it, it’s time to change. But how to do it?
Change Your Mindset
I’ll show you the simple, six-step program I applied to my own garden in a minute, but what I really did first was change my view of myself as it related to the garden. Now don’t get me wrong, I love gardening. I still do. But I had to admit I didn’t need every rare cultivar and every feature to enjoy a healing sanctuary. Before my identity was wrapped up in growing rare plants and veggies in a greenhouse and all else. Before I was chasing a dream. But while I was doing that, I was simultaneously creating too much maintenance for myself, which left me without what I needed most: time.
The SIMPLE Approach
So I came up with a plan. And it’s still a work-in-progress, but so far it feels wonderful. I haven’t sacrificed beauty or interest but I’ve eliminated things to do and gained more leisure time. Here’s what I did, which I’m sure in some way applies to your outdoor space too.
First, Streamline your design. Second, Identify clutter and clear it out. I did, even in my greenhouse. Third, Minimize your plant palette. Fourth, start Practicing self-control; fifth Limit your maintenance commitment. Lastly, Enjoy the garden more often. It all spells out the word “simple,” so if you can remember that, you’ll be able to stick to the plan and enjoy a simple garden. Most of all, it makes you feel lighter and free and just great overall.
I’ll write more about how to actually do these steps in a future blog post but until then, if you’d like more details, check out my article in The Washington Post. Maybe it will help you find your way to a simpler, and therefore easier and more peaceful gardening experience.
In the meantime, if you have any questions I can help with, feel free to fire away in the comments! Cheers.
