Life happens to us all, and sometimes the things we love have to take a back seat. This can happen with our gardens as easily as anything else. Illness, injury, family matters, or work can keep us from putting time into our garden spaces. For those of us returning to gardening after some time away, it can be a daunting task to get things started again. So instead of jumping right back in, we’d like to offer some recommendation for gardeners who are returning to gardening after a hiatus. Let’s dust off our garden tools and dig in!
Assessing Your Garden
We’ll assume for this blog that we’re not starting from zero, but rather working with a establish garden space that’s just been disused for a while. In this case, it may feel like there’s a million and one things to do, but it all starts with an assessment. Take a walk through/around the garden space and spend some time with it. The goal here is to re-learn the space and identify what needs work in a gradual way, rather than trying to take it on all at once. “Gradual” is key; we’ll be moving back into this slowly and as fits our ability, time and energy.
Weeds and Debris
Different spaces always have different needs, but the first order of business will likely be clearing away debris and weeds/unwanted plants. Some of these may be sizable; if we let a garden sit for a full year there may be saplings and shrubs that have taken root and which may need to be removed. Some of these may be allowed to stay or might be relocated elsewhere, depending on our garden space and its needs. It’s up to us to decide how our garden evolves. Regardless, weeding and clearing away debris and unwanted plants is likely the first order of business.
Soil and Nutrition
Gardening always comes down to soil, so once the space is clear and clean and ready for further work it’s time to assess the state of the growing medium itself. This can be potting soil, in-ground soil, or the dirt in a raised bed, but it’s time to get it tested and see what’s going on. Your local cooperative extension office may offer testing services, and commercial testing kits are available at many home and garden supply stories. While we’re waiting for the test results to come back, take a look at the physical state of our soil. Is it saturated, compacted, overly loose? The desired state of our soil will depend on what we’re trying to grow, but it’s good to know what we’re starting with. When the testing results are in and we know what’s going on with our soil on a biochemical level, we may decide to start adding soil amendments in order to enrich the nutrient levels, promote a better soil biome, or loose the soil as needed.
Size and Scale
OK, all the concrete stuff is out of the way. Now it gets nebulous. We have to decide how we want to re-engage with this gardening space. If we’ve been away from gardening for a while, it may be best to move back into it slowly. Start with one bed, one collection of containers, or some smaller portion of the overall space at first and then expand as we get comfortable and back into the routine. Returning to gardening after a hiatus isn’t like starting as a brand-new gardener—we still know how to garden and we haven’t lost our skill with plants! However it’s still a new demand on our time and our physical ability, so going slow for a bit might be best when we return to the garden after some time away.
Assessing Yourself
We should also look at why we took time out of the garden. If the issue was simple a lack of time, a bad season of drought, or something like that then we’re more likely to be able to jump right back in. If the issue was health, injury, or illness, then we may want to go slower as we get back into gardening. Even a small indoor container garden requires some level of physical activity and physical strain, and that may be a challenge if we’re getting over another physical issue. Again, let’s go slow, and let’s not be afraid to adapt our gardens to fit our physical ability. If bending over or getting on/off the ground is a challenge, raised beds and containers may be a better place to start. If endurance and stamina are issues for now, let’s start small and then expand as we get stronger. Gardening is for everyone, and gardening can be adapted to everyone. Also—while our gardens are personal, it’s OK to ask for help. Friends and family may be willing to jump in, or folks we know from our local garden club. Reaching out if we need a hand may not just be a wise decision, but a way of building community around our gardens.
Welcome Back to the Garden!
If anything in this blog spoke to you, and you’re getting back into your garden after a hiatus, we have this to say: welcome back! We’re so glad you’re here and that you’re gardening again. Gardzen is all about community, so if you have any questions or just need a bit of support please reach out in the comments section or via email. We’re here to help and we’re glad you’re here with us!
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