When I saw the headline in The Seattle Times Newspaper “10 Steps to a 30 minute garden” my first thought was “Oh no, not yet another of those quick garden makeover fixes”. There have been so many of those television programmes where gardening gurus have been called in to do a makeover in anywhere from half a day to two days for people who do not have any idea or real desire to create a garden. So often the result is good, perhaps a bit fanciful, but within a year has been allowed to deteriorate.
My other gripe has always been that these type of gardening programmes can send out the wrong message to new home owners. Create a garden over the weekend just like you would decorate a room in your house. The trouble is those who have not gardened before may get the idea that you only have to freshen up the garden as often as you would your house decor.
When I read the article I realised that I was misinterpreting the headline. To quote; “The popularity of gardening has even taken a hit, as we find more and more competition for what would have been time spent in the garden. But whatever the reason, if 30 minutes is all you have to spend each week, here’s my list for 10 ways to minimize your time while creating a beautiful, lower-maintenance yard and garden.”
The article gives sensible gardening tips for those who want a tidy looking garden but find their time pulled in all directions.
The message for any new home owner or budding gardener is that a garden takes time to create or to get to your liking. In fact any experienced gardener will tell you that a garden is never finished. You can always see things to improve, unfortunately plants and shrubs die for a variety of reasons and this can create the opportunity for a change of theme or improved theme.
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