You don’t have to be a perfect gardener.

by rhinoballet

11 Comments

  1. rhinoballet

    I found so much relief in giving myself this permission, and now I’m giving you permission as well. You don’t have to weed every single thing that pops up. You don’t have to prune every tomato sucker. You don’t have to move your volunteers into perfectly measured rows. It’s okay if something fails or you let your cucumbers overripen. Turns out it will be just fine, and you don’t even have to feel bad about it.

  2. JoyfulNature

    Thank you!Amen! My garden has entered into its annual chaous stage. Some things never really worked this year, or are working differently. The tomatoes are a bit slow to ripen, for example.

    I still love every bit of it.

    I do hope finding and killing the vine borer buys me more squash.

  3. I tend to just envision my garden as this barely contained wild thing, so anything I am able to achieve beyond that is exceeding my expectations. Really helps with managing stress. Lol

  4. schmoopser

    Mine always gets away from me this time of year. It’s just too hot to get to it all.

  5. PensiveObservor

    I love your garden, OP! I’m in a rural area where there aren’t many “lawns” and neighbors don’t care. If we have a level grass patch, we mow it. Where the trees crowd up from the creek bottom, natural under-story shrubs and a few native berries are no maintenance. I tossed a few pounds of clover seed around last year and it’s starting to infiltrate the grass so there are fewer brown patches. All my watering time is spent on vegetables; the lawn is on its own.

    It’s my relaxing time of year, reading a book on the porch swing. <3

  6. Thank you for this. This is my first real season and I have been feeling so insecure lol. I rent, so I live really close to my neighbors. Not many of them garden, with the exception of 1 who grows compact varieties. Everyone else takes pride in their grass…while my grow bags ruined mine 😭. Now that everything is 8ft tall and as wide as all outside, I find it hard to really bask in the beauty of it. I stick out like a sore thumb lol.

    Your garden is beautiful 😍

  7. ateallthecake

    Starting a vegetable garden has taught me so much about patience and letting go of perfect. I like this. 

  8. Which_Reason_1581

    Gardening is learning. It’s an experiment. Have fun and don’t be anal.

  9. MrBlue_Pig

    This is so true!!!

    I have random weeds where it is not mulched and it’s whatever. My tomatoes have gone wild in some areas, spilling over the path and it’s whatever (I’ll just step around them). Some of my plants are so big they shade others and it’s whatever there’s no need to prune them. I commonly miss my fertilization / liquid feed days and it’s whatever.

    Gardening isn’t just about 100% productivity and maximum food output, but the fun it gives, stress it takes away, and its outlet to nature, among countless other benefits!

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