Time Saving Tips for the Garden

This time of year I am especially busy. Field trips with the kids, two birthdays, three anniversaries, Mother's Day, softball, art class...you get the picture. On top of all this, I decided to plant a vegetable garden this year for the first time in a long while.

Since the soil is so poor, I opted to use raised beds. That meant taking time to prepare the ground, set up the beds, and get some things planted quickly. I also had to clean out the shed so I would have a dedicated place to start my indoor seeds. It looks like my husband will need to mow this weekend for the first time--if it ever stops raining--so I need to go around the perimeter of the yard and cut back those low lying branches left over from October's snowstorm.

A post with how to save time in the garden seemed in order. I stumbled upon this article online, but it wasn't exactly the type of inspiration I was looking for. It was good advice, but not the angle I wanted to use. If you don't mind some average gardener advice, I'm your woman.

• Store your gardening tools in one location. Our shed isn't huge, but it serves its purpose. Before it came along, I had tools in the cellar by the door leading outside, tools in the house (good grief), and tools in the garage. Can you imagine how much time I used to waste looking for my tools? Keep tools together in one spot so you know right where they are. Even if that place is a cardboard box, it's better than scattering tools everywhere.
• Write a list of what you need to finish the job. We have a long driveway and we're situated on a couple of acres. While walking is great exercise, I don't want to waste precious time going back and forth for a tool or supply I've forgotten. Writing out a short list of everything you need to complete a task ensures you won't leave out the one thing you need to use the minute you kneel down in the dirt..
• Have a plan. If you're like me, you have several projects vying for your attention. Have an idea what you are going to tackle first and how. Even when I'm weeding, I start in a certain location based upon where the sun is when I go out. Having a plan in mind before you start allows you to hope right in and get it done.
• Bring water with you to stay hydrated. It took me a while to learn this, but it's best to bring a jug of water out with you--even if it's not very hot outside. Every time I would work in the garden, I found myself getting thirsty, but I didn't want to pull myself away to walk to the house to get a drink. Carry a jug outside and set it in a shady spot for water breaks.
• Have a water source on both sides of the house. Four years ago, a tree fell down in the yard and wiped out our hose and reel on the left side of the house. Being the thrifty girl I am, I figured we could get by with just one and drag it from one side of the house to the other. As soon as I had to water more heavily during those hot summer months, dragging that hose around the house was a dreadful task. Even if you don't have two spigots, perhaps you can set up a rain barrel so you have water closeby.

Hope this is a fruitful season for your gardens.