When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, right? But what if the lemons are rotten or have pests? Sometimes failing in the garden requires you to make the best of it. And sometimes you just have to let it go.
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I've spent hours documenting my successes in the garden, putting down roots and sharing the peace and fulfillment of homegrown living. It would be a disservice to allow my readers to believe I have a perfect Instagram worthy garden 365 days a year. In fact, I think it's important to recognize my failures. I don't know everything. I make plenty of mistakes and face gardening dilemmas.
You know what they call a redhead who loses her temper? A Ginger-Snap. And it happens. Trust me.
My friend, Jeannie, inspired this post after a recent conversation about garden struggles. We were on vacation together with a bunch of friends and the topic of my blog came up. Jeannie quickly lamented the fact that she, too, once had a garden and grew beautiful flowers and vegetables. However, I could hear the frustration in her voice as she threw her hands in the air and said she had given it all up. She said there were too many pests, too many diseases and just too much work. I truly felt sad inside knowing she had a hobby she enjoyed, but had to let it go because it was causing more stress than happiness. I couldn't wrap my head around this because I love mine so much!
Then I got home from our lovely relaxing vacation and saw my own garden.
Japanese beetles had skeletonized the leaves on my apple trees and roses, destroyed my nearly ripe peaches, ruined my basil and my cut flower garden. The drought and heat wave burned up our lawn, scorched my young lavender plants, and roasted my hanging basket arrangement. My tomato plants toppled over their supports and were destroyed by hornworms.
I was only gone for four days! It was a disaster! I stood there in my sanctuary and felt the tears well up in my eyes. I couldn't understand why my drip irrigation didn't work well enough. I was shocked at the beetle damage and the dry crunchy grass underfoot.
I thought about Jeannie and her past garden. I saw her hands in the air and the look in her eyes that told me she meant it: no more gardening. I felt the despair in my own heart and asked myself, "Why in the world are you doing this? Just go to the farmers' market. Join a CSA. Stop wasting time and money on this." Overwhelmed and defeated, I put my gloves away, went back inside the house and slammed the door shut.
The next morning I downed a robust cup of coffee and made a plan to tackle the little monsters in my sanctuary. With a bucket of water and a ginger kick ass attitude, I went after the beetles first.
They were still sluggish and disoriented from all of their organic snacks and rampant orgies in beds of rose petals. I turned the chickens loose for back up and together we cleaned up.
Ginger Tip: Knock beetles into a bucket of water and feed to chickens. I call this "Bobbing for Beetles" and they love it! If you don't have chickens, add a little dish soap to the water before knocking the beetles into it.
Ginger Tip: If you prefer a more 'hands off' method, use a handheld vacuum!
Next, I dragged my debris bag from raised bed to raised bed and pulled out anything that wasn't cutting it. Sorry, little lavender plant-you should've tried harder! Adios, hanging basket; hello compost pile!
I can't believe how many tomato hornworms I picked, but I let the parasitic wasp handle this one. It was very satisfying.
By lunchtime I was sweaty and covered in disgusting who-knows-what. Literally, Japanese beetles were falling out of my hair before I jumped in the shower. I spent the rest of the day scouring the internet, searching for solutions.
However, I kept coming back to Jeannie and my biggest question: What do you do when you want to quit your garden?
First: Join Online Support Groups
Even though I certainly could use an emotional support group after seeing my garden disaster, I'm referring to gardening groups. If you are on Facebook, search for gardening groups to join. Within these groups you will find answers, inspiration and recognition from other gardeners. I personally belong to several different facebook groups. Some are composed of members from all over the globe. Some are members local in my geography which is incredibly helpful when dealing with specific issues. One of my favorite groups is called Addicted to Gardening. We share our favorite photos and inspire each other to find peace and happiness in the garden. Another favorite is Raised Beds Gardening-Ideas and Pictures. I like how it specifically deals with raised beds which make up most of my kitchen garden. Search for whatever suits your interests!
Another favorite online group of mine is Gardening Forums. I like this website because it's very well organized. There are threads to follow and forums to explore and a wide variety of content. You can find my profile there. I'm "Ginger with Roots" of course!
The best part about these groups? They really are an emotional support group, too. When I shared my recent experience, immediately other members shared their struggles and empathy. I wasn't alone!
Second: Set Your Garden Up for Success
You've heard the phrase: "Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well." This is so true for gardening. I learned this lesson the hard way when I neglected my drip irrigation before going out of town. The weather was changing drastically from regular summer temperatures to a dangerous heat wave that week. I should've taken the time to update the timers on my zones for longer periods and more frequently, but I didn't!
As for the Japanese beetles, I had them really bad last year and should’ve put down milky spore. I knew they would come back again this year, but life got busy and I neglected to be proactive. Out of sight of mind! Throw in a mild winter with little to no freezing temperatures and the beetles multiplied like crazy!
For more tips for garden success, read 6 Tips for a Successful Kitchen Garden.
Part of gardening is failing. Just like in life, we learn from our mistakes (hopefully!) and try to do better. Each obstacle we overcome prepares us for the next hurdle. There will always be setbacks and heartache, but we carry on. This brings me to the next piece of advice.
Third: Identify What is Working Well in the Garden
This is probably my favorite advice for the frustrated gardener: find what is doing well. Focus on the good and feel the reward of cultivating the land even if it's not the specific reward you were striving to achieve.
I was so blinded by the destruction in my precious garden, I failed to notice the little successes upon my return. During my beetle busting rampage and clean up, I found acorn squash had formed, and they looked beautiful hiding under the thick green leaves!
I harvested yellow squash for the first time ever-no vine borers had gotten to it! I learned from prior years of failure to apply BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) after planting. This injection helps immensely, by the way. Dilute the product according to the manufacturer's instructions, draw up with a syringe and inject it into the stem near the base of the plant.
My blueberries were ripe and ready to be picked only because I learned last year that the birds will get them unless they're covered. My white mesh zip up covers worked well this season!
My new lavender plants might have died, but the thyme I stuck in a container just for the heck of it was thriving! I had totally forgotten that I had planted it and found it looking lush and happy. This of course made me happy, too.
Some critter chowed down on my anemones which I've been waiting for 2 YEARS to see in my garden. I seriously wanted to cry over that one, but then I saw that my day lilies (a gift from my mother-in-law's garden) finally bloomed! The deer did not appreciate my repellent spray mwahahaha! Victory!
Ginger Tip: Consider using a garden journal to keep track of failures and successes each season.
I like to make notes in my iCalendar for easy tracking. I also love the book Week by Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook which has frost date timing for chores in the garden as well as lined space for jotting notes of your own experiences.
Four: Just Quit!
Surprised by this one? Keep reading. When I first decided to start a gardening blog, I seriously considered calling it The Ruthless Gardener. So many times I've had to grab my clippers and my debris bag and make some harsh decisions. Some ruthless decisions. When I say "Just Quit", I'm not saying the entire garden gets torched. I simply mean to quit the frustrating part.
It has taken me decades to master growing vegetables. I'm still learning, but at least I can reap the rewards now. I couldn't even grow a tomato back in the beginning! So I quit the vegetable garden back then. I kept my small herb garden and kissed the vegetables goodbye. Freedom!
Thankfully, our new garden is set up properly for fruits and vegetables, and we are enjoying some incredible produce! (Remember my second piece of advice? It's okay, go back and look).
I'm currently examining the size and demands of my garden after this most recent setback. I don't want to quit it completely. I simply want some relief from the chores. If it doesn't improve after the revamped irrigation and milky spore, I will make some more ruthless decisions. It's more important to me to have a verdant sanctuary filled with buzzing pollinators and relaxing vibes than to have a garden battle every day.
Finally, if gardening is not fulfilling to you and is dragging down your spirit, it's okay to give it up. Years ago I wanted to learn to golf. I took lessons. I had all the gear. I tried. I swear, I tried really hard. I just wasn't good at it. More importantly, it frustrated me to the point that I wanted to scream and throw my clubs in the air! (I might have actually done that on a course in Hilton Head...ginger snap-remember?) So I quit golf. It was not for me.
My friend, Jeannie, did what was right for her and her needs. After all, what's the point of putting down roots if they don't ground you?
Want more quality time in your garden? Read 6 Ways to Create a Relaxing Garden!
I'm a fan of the Uprooted Ginger!