| It's vital to start the process of having a hassle-free | | | | what you imagine, and what you are currently faced |
| garden. This article gives you that first step and helps | | | | with. |
| achieve some sound understanding of what you face | | | | As you do this preliminary overview, remember it is |
| as a weekend gardener. Our goal is to create a | | | | okay to consider what you "hate" to do in regards to |
| garden that practically takes care of itself. | | | | gardening work. We want to get rid of these areas |
| Unlike my neighbor, Fred. | | | | first and foremost. |
| Fred never found a way to escape the prison of | | | | Everyone has a different take on this subject. Some |
| responsibilities and hard, never-ending work required | | | | hate mowing the lawn, others actually enjoy the |
| by a high-maintenance garden. | | | | exercise and like getting out in the sun. Some find |
| If you want to avoid Fred's fate, you need to start | | | | weeding tedious, others will enjoy the process of |
| by making a critical examination of the maintenance | | | | grabbing weeds by the fistful and yanking them |
| of your yard and garden. | | | | forcefully out of the ground. I have a cousin who has |
| Start by taking a stroll around your property and | | | | actually been found to wonder into neighbors yards |
| make note of how much time you take to tend to | | | | yanking the critters up (much to the surprise and |
| various areas. | | | | cheerful appreciation of his neighbors) after he had |
| • Which plants require the most care, right | | | | run out of them in his own yard. |
| now? | | | | So, part of your 'yard tour' is to make note of the |
| • Are there areas that please you and take | | | | areas that require work; how you feel about each |
| less care? | | | | one, and listing which are particularly time-consuming. |
| • Are there some areas that you love so | | | | Once you're done, take your list and make a check |
| much that no matter how much maintenance they | | | | mark (!) next to those items that you intend to keep |
| take you'd not want to change them? | | | | no matter how much maintenance they may require. |
| • Can you visualize any areas being scaled | | | | Then put a question mark (?) Next to the ones you |
| down in size, or that can be improved with a | | | | enjoy looking at, but are nonetheless |
| low-maintenance design or gardening technique? | | | | high-maintenance and take too much work. Later you |
| • Where is the problem weeding area? | | | | will discover timesaving techniques you can surely |
| • Which is the most difficult mowing area of | | | | apply to many of these problem areas. |
| your lawn? | | | | Now plan on making your aim to eliminate those |
| In my book: "The Weekend Gardener"- The Busy | | | | areas left UNMARKED. You'll want low maintenance |
| Persons' Guide To A Beautiful Backyard Garden, I | | | | ways to turn these areas into sources of pleasure, |
| present very specific ways to combat your problem | | | | instead of drudgery. However, you can't DO anything |
| areas as you think critically about the current | | | | to lessen the strain until you first SEE the problems |
| maintenance problems you must take into account. | | | | out there in your yard. So do this tour as a first step |
| Take this tour with a critical eye and a notebook. | | | | to achieve true joy and freedom in your gardening |
| Make some notes to yourself about what you see, | | | | experience. |