4 Tips To Have a Stress Free Garden This Year

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The story is the same for me every year… In the fall when my garden is winding down I tell myself that the next year I will plant less, not overwhelm myself and just enjoy my garden. Then, without fail, my Spring time garden excitement leaps out of my bored winter soul and I want to double everything I’ve done in previous years. 

I’ll probably never stop having that desire, but I also don’t want to get so burnt out on gardening that I stop doing it altogether. So I have created a few little habits to keep myself sane all through the gardening season! 

1) Realize that even if you over-planted, you don’t have to process everything you grow

My biggest stress the first few years I was gardening was feeling like I had to pickle every freakin cucumber and make jam out of every raspberry that grew in my garden. The overwhelm of harvesting was really getting to me! Then I realized that just because I grew it doesn’t mean that I, personally, need to make use of it. I started just giving away bowls of berries, cucumbers, squash (oh my gosh, the squash)… and guess what? Our household was fine, we produced more than enough for our needs and we were able to bless others with our abundance BEFORE processing it and they were just as grateful.

Another beautiful option with excess? Trade with other growers in your area! One, you will meet up with amazing people and two, you can enjoy things that aren’t growing in your own garden without any of the work! I traded a giant bag of pickling cucumbers for a pack of the most beautiful Zinnia seeds that aren’t even available for purchase this year. Winning all around!

Do I still make jam and zucchini bread for friends every year? Of course! But giving it away before it’s processed takes a giant weight off of my shoulders. 

Side note, there are probably a ton of places where you live that will take food donations as well. If you have extras, why not bless people that are hungry with the abundance of your garden?!

2) For the love, just put in an Irrigation system

In the beginning, I romanticized being out watering my garden every morning. I got my sunshine in, was grounding, was one with my plants… Plus, I’m cheap and watering myself was free 99. That got old REAL QUICK. Do I still love going out every once in awhile and hand watering? Absolutely. But having the ability to just turn on my irrigation and tend to the other needs of the garden WHILE it’s being watered was a game changer for me.

We literally just put in a watering system this year and I cannot believe it took this long to do so. I will forever be a massive advocate of installing an irrigation system immediately upon planting a garden. 

This is what we used and it was under $50 at the time that we installed it. There are TONS of options out there, just find one that works best for you! I promise you won’t be sad and it will be more than worth the initial investment. 

3) Only plant what you will eat or use

We used to plant peas because they are super easy to grow, but my husband doesn’t like them so they don’t go into any of our meals… so why would I have them in my garden?

If you hate tomatoes, don’t grow tomatoes just because every garden on the planet has tomatoes. Use the space that you have in your garden to grow food that you will enjoy and the work will feel so much more enjoyable when you can literally enjoy all of the fruits of your labor. 

4) Choose your Battles with the Weeds

Weeds in your beds competing with your plants? Pull them. Weeds that are pretty and are not causing any issues? Don’t stress about them. 

I know that’s an unpopular opinion and there are people that will disagree, but I used to be that person and it caused way more stress than it was worth. So, I spend time weeding where I need to and I leave what isn’t getting in the way. Some of our “weeds” are beautiful flowers that fill a space with zero fruits or vegetables and I do zero work for their beauty. 

Obviously there will always be things that are out of our control like weather, some pest problems, etc. With those things we just have to relax a bit and realize that there is only so much that we can do. Stressing about the garden won’t make it grow better, just do what you can to manage and adjust accordingly. 

At the end of the day, your garden should be a place that provides for your family without causing undue stress. Make it your own! You don’t have to plant what Sally on Instagram is planting. Plant the flowers that bring you joy, the foods that you LOVE to eat and spend your time in your garden feeling the gratitude of everything that it brings to your home.