How do you save time in the garden? I need to know!

16 years ago

Hello, my name is gottagarden and I'm a plantaholic . . .

I love my gardens and spend hours every day working on them. Every year I get to the point when I am just sick of it all, it seems overwhelming. Usually that's in August. This year it's early July. It just seems so much work! I don't want to give it up (couldn't possibly), but I would appreciate any tips and techniques you use to save time. Even small timesavers can really add up when you have a garden the size of mine. (way too big)

I'll start with a couple.

I am always lugging hoses around from this bed to that bed. It involves unscrewing them from the tap, and wheeling the hose cart around to another tap, screwing on etc. This year I invested in several brass "quick connect" hose adapters and Y- connectors so I can quickly just hook in the new hose without unscrewing anything else. It really does save time.

I also bought extra shovels, trowels, hoes, scissors, gloves, so I have a set for each main garden area. Stops me running around trying to find where I left my shovel, what happened to that hoe, etc.

I know these sound simple, trite perhaps, but I garden on a large scale and need to find ways to save time or else I'm going crazy.

Please share your timesavers, I know I'm not the only one who needs help.

Thanks!

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Comments (22)

aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
16 years ago
I know exactly how you feel, come August I find it very difficult to keep up with all the chores that have to be done. I can't take the sun or the heat so it's a real struggle.
I too have invested in snap on fittings they are a real life saver. This time of year I use sprinklers that cover a lot of ground and have a couple going at the same time, having 3 outside taps and good water pressure helps a lot. What I have done that saves time are, in several spots I have permanently mounted sprinklers in beds with lengths of hose that reach the path, this way I just have to drag the main hose to the edge of these gardens and snap them on.
As to weeding that's another story, with my energy level this time of year I've come up with a new plan for me, instead of jumping all over the place doing a bit here and there and besides caring for my 150+ Fuchsia collection, I now have started to weed one section at a time, before moving on to the next. What gets done, gets done what doesn't will have to wait till fall cleanup.
My garden is a jumble of all the plants I love, it does look quite nice the end of May/beginning of June, after this I only have certain spots that aren't half bad, not a show piece by any stretch...so if at this time of the year it looks over the hill, well so am I so we suit each other perfectly LOL.

Annette
shellva
16 years ago
Hi Gottagarden.

I wouldn't say I really have any time saving tips. I only have the little mental games that I play.

I know exactly what you mean about feeling overwhelmed. I have almost 3/4 of an acre that the previous owners did nothing with save a few shrubs up around the foundation.

So basically I have a clean slate..well I did. But now I have beds all over the place and yes! I do get overwhelmed...A LOT!

But when I get that feeling I try to remind myself that "this too shall pass." And "all will get done in it's own time."

Also when I have those moments of "Why am I doing this?????" I try to remember those rare moments of absolute awe I experience in my gardens.

I had one of those moments just the other day. I was out early the other morning standing next to a shrub that I planted up next to the house. It was teaming with the sounds of bees busily gathering nectar. Those bees were there the other morning because *I* planted that shrub. A few moments later a huge butterfly gently floated by to check out some of the flowers that *I* planted the seeds. And right after that two hummingbirds decided to have a territorial thing just mere feet from my head. They were there because of *me* putting out feeders and planting flowers they like. For that brief moment in time I was able to realize and appreciate the impact my little 3/4 of an acre was having on this earth. My previously barren plot of land was now contributing to the wildlife of the area.

I hang on to those rare, precious "all is right with my little plot of earth" moments for dear life. Sounds very sappy I know. But it keeps me going I guess.

Michelle

P.S. Oh and if things get really bad I come to some of the forums on Gardenweb and complain to those who understand;-)
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angelcub
16 years ago
About the only thing that overwhelmes me is weeding but I am slowing getting a ground cover I love growing in most of my beds and it DOES keep the weeds to a minimum. Watering would be a huge chore in my large garden but my DH has installed sprinklers and soaker hoses on automatic timers so I only drag the hose to newly planted stuff that needs an extra drink the first week or so before becoming established.

Another thing that helps is to stop buying and planting things by July. I know it's tempting and I fall off the wagon every now and then, but I love summer so I refuse to be a slave to my gardens. I also concentrate on growing things that don't need a lot of upkeep or deadheading. My roses are the exception but I find it very soothing to spend a little time each week, usually in the early evening, deadheading them.

Can't think of much else. I do have duplicate tools although I'm not so sure it's done me much good since they all seem to end up in the same place - everywhere! lol!

Diana
todancewithwolves
16 years ago
*LOL* been there and done that *LOL*

I'm always loosing my pruners and I have three pairs.

I don't mind weeding so much but picking up after myself drives me nuts.

As for watering, what a nightmare. I drug that darn hose from one end of the garden to the other. Knocking over plants or bending a favorite flower and sometimes killing a plant.

I tried soaker hoses and they drove me nuts. Great for a small area or raised beds but for a large garden, no way. It was like a giant snake took over my garden.

I just got automatic sprinklers. Wow, what a difference I've seen in two weeks.

Edna
DYH
16 years ago
Once the big "plant rush" is over, I am usually tired of planting, too. So, instead of spending hours everyday, I break it down into tending during my strolls. I pull a few weeds as I walk, or deadhead/pinch a few flowers.

Just after every rain, I pull up weeds as the ground is soft and the effort is so much less.

I keep a trug tub and snips hidden behind the loveseat on my front porch, so I can just grab and go out into the garden.

We laid drip irrigation hoses on timers off of our outdoor faucets, so I only have to water my potted plants.

We mulched in June when my planting was over and that helps suppress weeds and retain moisture.

I don't have neat edges and lines -- it's a garden of organized chaos! We live at the back of a 2 acre meadow far from view of the neighbors, so I don't have pressure to keep everything perfectly tidy.

Lesson learned: we went on vacation and came back after 2 weeks away -- I had to spend 3 mornings in the garden weeding it. It is better to pull a few weeds everyday for a few minutes than have to face that kind of clean up!

Good idea for a thread!

Cameron
PRO
Nell Jean
16 years ago
Never go out into the garden empty-handed. Carry pruners, or a hoe, or a container for uprooted weeds or a watering can, even when you're going to the mailbox.

You can only use one spade, pair of snips or hoe at a time. Invest in lots of hoses so as to drag fewer. Not only can you buy Y-connectors, you can buy something called a 'manifold' which is like a Y connector but you can connect four hoses at once. Buy extra soaker hoses that can stay under mulch and not be moved. Those soakers with the little holes can be cut in half and new fittings put on the cut ends to make shorter soaker hoses. I still don't have enough soakers.

The following are for very large properties:

Plan some annual/perennial beds in a way so that if they get away from you and grow up in weeds, the whole thing can be mowed and return to meadow or lawn; or plant a shrub border which is less a weed problem.

All my paths are grass paths as wide as a mower width so I'm never weeding paths. (Two stepping stones across a narrow bed does not count as a path here.)

Daffodil and tulip beds overplanted in early-blooming annuals can be made in rough lawn, to return to mowed area for the summer and fall. (Not suitable for the front yard unless screened from the street somehow.)

Research alleopathic plants. Sunflowers, for example.

Nell
gottagarden
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks everyone.

Aftermidnight, I think I'm coming around to your way of thinking to just take care of one area at a time, then move on to the next. I tend to do "firefighting", grab the things that are out of control and bounce all over the place, rather than approach it in a more systematic way. I need a better organized approach.

Shellva Oh and if things get really bad I come to some of the forums on Gardenweb and complain to those who understand;-) hahaha, I guess that's why I'm here!!

Angelcub, yes I do feel like a slave to my garden right now and I don't like it! I have stopped buying plants by July (mostly) but I'm seriously contemplating next year to get *no* new plants. I get well over a hundred plants every year through swaps and seedstarts and mail-order plants that I got suckered into ordering in February when I am desperately craving warm weather and blooms. It takes me almost 2 months to get everything in the ground, because I have to find a place for them, which usually means moving something else. I really am amazed how long it takes me to get all my plants in the ground. And it's not really like I need any more plants, my gardens are bursting. But I have this collecting disease . . . .

Edna, I only water the newly planted, we (usually) get enough summer rain that I don't need sprinklers. However the newly planted runs to over 100 plants. . .

Cameron, you sound very organized. When I grow up, I want to be like you!

Nell, Never go out into the garden empty-handed. That's great advice! I'm always going out "just to take a picture, cut a flower, move something in the shade", but then I stay out there and don't have my scissors, or wish I had my weed plucker or whatever. I really like your idea of a path that is just a mower-width wide. Wish I had that advice when I made some of my paths that now are just over a mower's width and require 2 passes. It's also an interesting idea for "temporary" beds of spring bloomers that can be mown over later. That thought never occurred to me.

Thanks for the ideas, please send more!
lindakimy
16 years ago
Who has enough time to be in the garden as much as they would like to be?? There are only 24 hours in a day, right? And then there is the nasty question of a JOB! Mine severely interferes with my gardening! LOL I really only have the weekends to get all the chores done (with the exception of a little deadheading and pulling a few weeds during my evening stroll around the flowerbeds. Cameron, you are so right about doing it a little at a time rather than letting it get out of hand! It has become automatic...when I'm in my garden I'm looking for those little things I can do in no time. It seems to make a big difference.

The one bright side to my schedule is that by the weekend I am absolutely LONGING to get out and play in the dirt. The heat may get to me in late summer and I may find myself almost too sore to walk on Monday but every Saturday morning, bright and early, I can't WAIT to get out there!

Dh has run new pipes all over our huge space so that you are never far from a water spigot (5 in the front and I'm not even sure how many out back!) and each has a hose (75-100 feet. Almost all are equipped with timers so you can turn the water on and it will turn itself off. That has all been a big help, especially since Dh is so thrilled with all the gadgetry that he has pretty much taken over the watering chore! ;)
bellarosa
16 years ago
Plant low maintenance, drought tolerant plants including:
coneflowers, salvia, daylilies, rudbeckia, monarda, daisies, liatris, lambs ear, catmint, heliopsis and grasses.

When planting, place plants close to suppress weeds.

Spend a few minutes every day weeding.

My usual garden gear that I carry with me at all times: baseball cap, gloves, pruners, Cool Whip container - for carrying JBs. I keep all these items in my greenhouse and gather them when I'm ready to garden.

Keep everything you're going to need in the same working area, so you don't forget something.

Have several water spigots in the yard. We have 4 in our yard.

Group with the same cultural needs together. For example, I know that phlox needs a lot water. I group two or three varieties together.
caavonldy
16 years ago
This is just our second year on our 5 acre home. It was just bare land when we moved in. I had both knees replaced last year so I didn't really get started in my yard until this winter. My DH planted some fruit trees for me last year, but I had no flower beds until this spring when I planted about 1/4 acre in rose and perennial beds with some annuals tossed in to fill up some of the empty spots.. After trying to water by hand, I quickly put in drip hoses for everything except the lawn. That was the best timesaver I have found. I have them on timers that turn them off so I don't have to run around so much.
moonphase
16 years ago
gottagarden,I went and bought 2 big baskets with handles.In one is my seeds,shears,scissors,tablet for notes,markers,pens,labels,clean cloths,gloves,a bag with a couple bottles of frozen water and one bottle of cold.Stay real hydrated.The other basket is paper bags for seed collecting,hand tools,a bag of pieces of different color yarn to mark any plant in my holding bed or one that I will transplant this fall.I use several hoses.I have 3 faucets outside that I use,so only drag that house to where I am going to water.I keep the sprinklers connected to the hose for the big beds and my vege garden,I use a hand wand on the carport hose because it is mostly containers I water and I am summer sowing mostly on a table set up near that area.I try to make sure I have everything I could possibly need in those baskets before heading out to the garden,I even put my phone in there so I don't have to stop whatever it is I am doing.Also the rule of pulling weeds right after a rain has helped me tremendously,and staying in that one bed until the weeds are pulled.Also throwing the weeds into a trug and not on the ground so I have to go around collecting weeds for the composst.so much easier to do that chore.I will be looking into irrigation lines on timers for next yr.I know I am not going to stop gardening on a large scale and think that would help tremendously.My garden year starts in Dec and I have a few weeks to work around xmas and Thanksgiving to get the seeds cleaned,packed and keeping up with ump-teen swaps going on at that time.It is a full time job almost and I love every second of it.I have over a thousand new plants this yr, so far and still have about 40 containers to plant.I am still sowing seeds of a few but now seed collecting has kicked in full swing and I am pulling plants daily transplanting them after I harvest the seeds.I am keeping one long 20 x 50' cottage garden and my holding bed is chock full,All of the other beds are going to be transformed and color coordinated.,Thanks to a certain wonderful gardener--humm humm that has been inspiring me..

moonphase
gldno1
16 years ago
Here are some things that have helped me, especially in the spring when planting.

I wear a work apron with large pockets. I keep packets of seed, gloves, pruners, scissors in the pockets, plus it keeps me cleaner.

Next I attach a small garden trailer to the riding mower and put in it anything I may need for each bed: flats of plants, hoe, spade and fork, loppers, string trimmer, anything too large for the apron. I was wearing myself out running back and forth to the garden shed for things! It works beautifully for large areas. You can also toss in clippings, weeds, etc. from clean-up.

This time of year, I always let things get out of control. I can't take the heat. When a bed gets way too bad, I just attack it some cool morning when feeling energetic. I always just do one bed at a time, same as house cleaning, I do one room completely at a time before moving on. Still things don't look as good as last month, our heat is a killer.

Watering: I use soakers buried under mulch. Sprinklers in certain areas where I leave the hose attached so just have minimal dragging to do. I don't do many pots because of the watering issue (which I hate). I keep the veggie garden under permanent mulch so it isn't too much of a problem......now if I can just get the beans and cucs picked.....no way to speed that up.
irene_dsc
16 years ago
Not sure if it really counts, but one thing try to I do when weeding is to have 2 containers (usually empty large-ish flowerpots) with me. One gets weeds for the compost, and one for perennial/gone to seed weeds that go in the yard waste. (I don't trust my compost to get hot enough to kill the bad stuff.)

I am keeping a weeding hand tool in both the garage (front yard) and shed (far back yard) to make it easier to grab quickly while keeping an eye on dd. Other than that, I don't have a lot of duplicates. My other hand pruners are still at the old house - I'll put those in the shed once that is sold.

I like the apron idea for planting - I think I have one of those belt things with pockets somewhere.
rnbwgrl
16 years ago
I have a five gallon bucket that i got an organizer for - friskars i think - it is cloth and goes around the outside, it has pockets and pouches for trowel, snips, cutters, cultivator, water, cellphone, etc. in the bucket go two pairs of gloves, a kneeling cushion, loppers, etc. the nice thing is that if i am in a hurry, and dont have time to organize everything back into the right pocket, i can dump everyting into the bucket and sort it out later. It is great because if i go out, i take the bucket, when i am done i bring the bucket in. I still occasionally misplace the odd item, but i do have spares in the garage, and once i find the item i just toss it in the bucket to be put away later. it has a section that opens to hold envelopes of seeds too, so when i see ripe seed, I have my little seed collection kit there too.

I also have manifolds on my two spigots. one has four outlets, one has five. that way I can leave my hoses that go to different areas -and over different fences- in place. I don't have to haul hoses and hook or unhook them. All i have to do is watch which outlets are on or off. I also have a drip system for my toms, I water them by hand from the rain barrel when I can, but we have been so dry this year that DH put in drip hoses to save me the time and trouble of using the hose.

Melissa
ellix
16 years ago
The best thing I did was get irigation installed as well as 2 additional spigots. Saves me hours in the gardens-even though I do enjoy hand watering (the gardens just got to be so big). The next great improvement was to lay cardboard boxs all over the pathways and the hidden patio and then pinestraw on top. I could't believe all the grass/weeds that grew there and now -there's no problem. I put a lot of mulch out after planting everything as well as I planted closely.
Next thing that helped me was to buy this cart thing from Lowes. It stands upright, has 2 wheels and a handle. It is so light weight it's easy for me to pull behind me to put weeds in. I can even lift it with one hand. I used to weed and make a pile but it got so big that I thought I would go around and pick up the 'piles' and never did. You know that looks just great. I use soaker hoses with timers too for certian things. Nothing like forgetting you have the water running (all night)even if it is on very low.
fammsimm
16 years ago
Even people like me who have small gardens can benefit from all these tips!

One thing I do is place an open compost bin directly under my trees to catch leaves as they fall during the autumn months. Those that "miss" the bin can easily be picked up and added.

Marilyn
threeorangeboys
16 years ago
This is such an amazing thread. I have a tiny city garden, so I am drooling listening to you all talk about maintaining all the space! :)
Gottagarden, your gardens are so amazing- truly truly inspiring. Don't get too frustrated. You are obviously doing something very right!
Did you do your gorgeous red bed this year? I've been meaning to ask you, is the amaranthus hardy, or do you have to start those from seed every year?
dirtdiggindiva
16 years ago
Watering is my biggest problem. We only have one outdoor spighot. How expensive is it to have watering systems installed?? That would be such a timesaver!!!

I have a heavy plastic "plant buggy" my MIL gave me years ago for Christmas. It came from Lowes and has a nice area in the middle to carry weed buckets, fertilizers, dirt... plus additional sections on each side including a section with a lid that opens and closes. It has 2 holders on the sides for shovels and stuff and a long handle. I keep everything in there and all I have to do is open the garage door and pull it out. At cleanup I just throw it all back in the buggy and cart it back inside. I couldn't garden without it! I think I'm going to invest in a gardening bag this year, too. That way I'll be able to keep that in the house but still have some items on hand when I go out for a stroll.

Some days I wonder how I'm going to keep this up when I get older but I try not to dwell on it too long. I just try to enjoy the beauty I find in the gardens for now and as long as I look at it as a favorite hobby and not a chore, it really can be therapeautic.
(Even though last night I laid in bed thinking "Where am I going to plant my new Queen of the Prairie? I hope the ground isn't too dry. Should I move my Russian Sage??" I finally did fall asleep. LOL)
gail_ish
16 years ago
This year my big plan was to remulch really deeply with wood chips. As I worked my way down the beds, I came to a spot that was weedier then the rest, so I weeded as best I could, layed down newspaper around the plants & then put on the mulch. That section of the bed stays so much cleaner now, then the other that was less weedy, but without newspaper. So, from now on, nothing is going to be mulched without several layers of newspaper. It's magic!
michelle_zone4
16 years ago
I second the newspaper and mulch. I'm on a farm and garden a large area. If one area gets out of control, I wet newspaper and add mulch. The wetting it keeps it in place until the mulch is added. Cardboard also works but newspaper is best in areas that are more congested with plants. I also use it in the veggie garden, but I use grass clippings on the newspaper. It eliminates lots of weeding. As for watering, I normally don't do alot except new things and even they get watered for a bit after planting and then they are on their own. This year is somewhat different, I've run the sprinklers more in the past couple of weeks because we've had no rain and many days in the 90's. Mulch does help alot with the moisture retention also.

I really like containers and don't mind watering them, but I do keep them grouped together somewhat as to not to have to drag the hose too far.
busyd95
16 years ago
This thread has been great to read and also a real "hoot"--like ThreeOrangeBoys and Fammsimm, I have a smallish urban garden (but no front lawn--all perennials), so my jaw dropped and I salivated a lot to hear how the rest of you need to save time and, despite the size of my gardens, I use many of the same time-saving ideas.

For those of us with a small space, my "time saving" recommendation is--get a dog who needs to be walked--ok, it doesn't save time, but at least it feels different if I pull weeds as I walk the dog--and it's probably pretty comical, as I talk to the dog as I'm doing this and even he looks at me as if I'm nuts.

And my other recommendation, not heretofore mentioned, which is not really time saving, but, again, more in terms of how garden work feels...I put on music--if I'm on a "mission" to weed, something with a beat that keeps me going.
gottagarden
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for all the ideas everyone, I'm sure we all can use them.

For years I had a small suburban lot, now I have my dream of acres. It reminds me of that old saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." ;-)

I really like the ideas of the apron, 5 gal bucket with pockets, tub with all my junk, and a special garden cart for all my stuff. I do spend a fair bit of time running back to the garage to get something. And adding new outdoor spigots is on DH's list, but it's not really at the top of his list . . .

I remember years ago when after a few years of gardening I discovered mulch. Wow - I could never keep up without it.

I'm not a lawn person, and mine is probably 50% weeds. When I am weeding, I often just throw the weed carcasses on the lawn. Next time DH mows with the mulching mower it will disappear. If someone in your house is a lawn nut, they would hate that, but it doesn't matter in our place.

This year I did not do containers - too much time for watering.

Keep those ideas coming!

How do you save time in the garden? I need to know!

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How do you save time in the garden? I need to know!

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