Overwhelm in the Garden: A Series
When I walk into a hardware store, I’m quickly overwhelmed. From the lumber aisle to plumbing and lighting, there are so many projects that immediately flood my mind, and I become frozen by decision paralysis. I don’t know where to start. I imagine this is how some people feel when they walk into a plant nursery or a garden center. There are racks of seeds, rows of containers, not to mention greenhouses filled with plants. They’re self-conscious or intimidated and don’t want to ask for help out of fear of looking or feeling inadequate. They do what I sometimes do at the hardware store, just wander around until I’m too tired to remember what I came in here for and leave.
Does this image fill you with joy or overwhelm?!
As we gear up for the spring season, I wanted to use this blog to dig into a few different topics that overwhelm many beginner gardeners. I’m on a mission to grow confident gardeners, and it’s important to me to be a resource for you so that if you do walk into a garden center and start to feel frozen by choices, you have some tools in your toolbox to keep taking action.
I recently sent out a survey, and almost 80% of the participants said they were overwhelmed by what to plant in their gardens. They don’t know what they want to grow, or what varieties will do well, and they grow frustrated by the options. These are not the growers who get excited by stacks of seed catalogues. These are growers who just want to start with something easy and rewarding.
For those of you who fall into this category of aspiring gardeners, I am going to be blogging this month about what usually overwhelms people in the garden and how to move toward action. If there are any topics you want me to cover for sure, please send me an email. For those of you who just want to take one more step in the garden this season, here’s three steps out of analysis paralysis and toward action.
Overwhelmed by what to plant?
1) Make a list of what you already eat
If you know you won’t eat kohlrabi, don’t waste space in your garden on it. I’m all for choosing one or two new veggies to experiment with each season, but when it comes to deciding what to grow, start with your most consumed vegetables.
I’ve created a handy worksheet where you can write down your go-to recipes and figure out what grows here in Boise. For instance, we typically have a pizza night in our house, so I know I want to grow paste tomatoes, basil and banana peppers in our garden. To go from zero to homestead in one season is unreasonable, but just starting to grow a little bit of your own food will make that weekly pizza night so much more exciting.
2) Create a Garden Plan
This can be easier said than done, but I’m actually hosting free weekly workshops in Boise starting this Thursday with local partners to walk people through this process of garden planning. If you want to know what grows when, you can sign up for one of those.
Click the button below to find an event that suits your schedule. You’ll be able to learn more about the partners I’m working with one each one, as well, including the Boise Farmers Market, Kvell Fitness + Nutrition, Idaho Sierra Club and Meriwether Cider Company.
If you want more 1:1 help, I’m also offering garden planning coaching sessions. In these sessions, we’re going to walk through your garden space, make plans to expand or amend what you have, and then create a planting plan and schedule that will serve as your blueprint for the spring season. I’ll tell you where to get your plants, and I’ll even come back and plant them with you. You don’t have to get your garden ready all on your own. That’s what I’m here for.
3) Get a buddy
I’m someone who needs regular accountability. If I don’t have a workout buddy, it’s hard for me to workout on a regular basis. That’s why I created the Boise Kitchen Garden Club. I created it for people like me who need a little nudge to get their to-do-list done. Each month, you’ll receive a guide to what to plant by seed, what to transplant and how to tend to your garden for that time period.
Plus, I’ll send out a weekly to-do list so you know exactly what you’re supposed to be doing in the garden that week. If you want to be a succession planter, learn when to harvest those cucumbers or just have some guidance in transitioning between seasons, this subscription will help each step of the way. It’ll remove the overwhelm and get you to a confident place in your garden.
You’ll also find a community in our Facebook group, where you can ask questions of me and fellow members. We’ll also plan days to go to the nursery together and have some fun outdoor workshops. You can join the Boise Kitchen Garden Club by clicking below.
I know I talk a lot about getting ready for garden season. I don’t mean to rush anybody into gardening who isn’t ready. The truth is, I’m just excited. The best time to start getting ready for garden season is when you’re actually ready to devote the time and energy to it. When you need help, I’ll be here, whenever that is.