I’ve been struggling to get back into gardening since my head injury. Just seem to lack the energy and interest for it. So even though my physical ability is not yet flagging, I though this book would be useful. It’s about how to simplify the work in the garden, to still be able to enjoy it even when time or capabilities have diminished. Each chapter has a focus with examples not only from the author’s own gardening experience, but also of various friends, who had different situations and solutions in their gardens. She discusses simplifying the garden by removing plants that are too demanding in their care needs, or prone to illness and just don’t look great all the time. This chapter had lots of recommendations for sturdy, attractive plants (and I’m in the same general area, the Northeast), so I made a long list of what sounded appealing, to look up more pictures and info later and see if any might work for me (I have so many such plant lists now). Most notably, she encourages removal of perennials to replace with shrubs that pretty much take care of themselves. And to have many, of the ones you like. (For me right now, that’s oakleaf hydrangea. I only have two, but I do love them!) Then the discussion turns to learning how to let go of the need for perfection, accepting a little bit of rumpled edges or disarray in places. And how to accept help in the garden work- which tasks are most useful to get extra hands with, how to find good people for it, and cost estimating- is it worth it to pay someone to assist you. Not only for the heavy labor like spreading new mulch in spring, but also- surprisingly- it might be getting help for things around the house, freeing you up to do the actual gardening yourself! In later chapters, she extols the usefulness and virtues of mulch, encourages us all to relax about lawn care, and details what it’s like to seriously downsize. Whether this means reducing the size of the cultivated garden itself, or moving to a smaller property altogether, as many people end up doing for financial reasons or because their family is suddenly smaller. Good advice all, and some I should seriously take- in particular, adding more evergreen shrubs to my yard I think. And this year I am just foregoing the vegetable garden altogether . . .
Borrowed from the public library.
