Small and slow solutions

I must admit - January can be a little discombobulating for me. There’s the whole Christmas thing, end of school, holidays for many, social time but….the garden doesn’t stop. Working in the heat/ humidity isn’t always fun. Getting away for a few day is - but you never know exactly what you’re coming back to. If you’re anything like me - I tend to overplant, so it’s pretty easy for powdery mildew to break out & spread around.

Moving into the shade & pausing for a drink is possible for me, but not for the plants. Time to be super mindful of their needs too, watering in the morning is most ideal, but whenever you can is great.

Key learning here - whatever you choose to take on, spend an extra 5 minutes thinking about it to see if it’s actually manageable on your own. If it’s bigger than you, can you access the extra people power to make it happen?Is it worth taking on right now?

I continued down the path with some systems because I’ve been doing it that way for quite a while with out taking my own advice & pausing long enough to actually see if that way was viable. You know when you look at a map to see where you’re going, so you’ve got some idea of how long the journey will take & when you’ll need a rest stop?

So the summer garden - herbs are great, think basil, parsley, easy pick ones that can grow in small spaces and will freshen up and add colour to any meal (edible flowers are also great here). Bok choy is super fast & really yum in a quick stir fry. All the cucurbits (cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin) are great for just doing their own thing - however - this season was weird for zucchini (powdery mildew & maybe a hint of attitude from the gardener?)

Moral of the story, small & slow solutions are the way to go. Be kind to yourself. Weather patterns are ever changing, so there’s that fabulous x factor in all the outdoor adventures.