My garden blogging has diminished to the point where I just about manage to hang on to the weekly ritual of Six on Saturday. This is not for want of trying. I have lots to say and share, but seem to have very little time so to do. Mulling this over, I have diagnosed that it has just fallen down the pecking order priority-wise.
With apologies to Maslow and his famous pyramid, here is my version.
Following Maslow’s convention, at the bottom of the pyramid are the basic needs for this gardener. Before I can do any of the fancy stuff, plants must be sown and grown. Then they need planting out (in theory) and most importantly this summer, watering. And that’s where it has mostly stopped for me this last few months. It has rained maybe three times since May. When I’m not at work or training, I’m watering! That’s for those plants that survived the Growing and Planting needs, many did not. I am fortunate that the sunny, dry weather has also limited weed growth, otherwise I’d be buried in a forest of them by now, rarely having time for weeding. So, that’s the truth of it. I haven’t often got as far as enjoying the garden this year, and have just not had the time to witter on about it here. Hopefully the imminent turn of the seasons will free up some more time for enjoying and who knows, sharing.
I’ll be back. At some point. Soonish.
When we have not been watering our plants this summer it has been tohot to be motivated to do any thing other than the essential. That said we will probably have a wet one next year.😀
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I liked your pyramid and agree that working in the garden and just having a garden comes first. When I don’t blog it’s because I don’t have anything interesting to say. I have to wait till an interesting idea or angle pings into my head. I am currently waiting……
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Just seen this – a great pyramid and entirely true. Always good to hear from you whenever you can find the time but as JohnK says there’s always Granny! (Good to hear from JohnK too!)
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Ha yes. There is always granny!
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I took the decision a few weeks ago to stop blogging altogether, I thought I would miss it after so many years but actually I find myself really enjoying the garden and engaging with it far more now that I’m not taking photos and composing posts in my head! I can see now how much my blogging had become the tail that wagged the dog. It’s great to share and you’ll be back to it when you can (plus SOS is brilliant) but there’s nothing as important as that time spent with hands in the earth and nose in the flowers (and, in my case, head in the clouds). Enjoy it! 🙂
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Oh that’s a shame! I enjoyed that little window into your corner of Spain and your writing is very good. Perhaps you’ll return refreshed after a sabbatical! Anyhow, dead right about tails and dogs, it all loses a bit of lustre if it becomes a chore.
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Thank you! I suspect I shall return as I do love to write but at the moment life is getting in the way. Also, summer has arrived here at last and it’s a full-time job just keeping the squash patch under control as the plants are heading off into the lane and down to the village at every opportunity. Whatever happens, I still find time for a peep at SOS. Happy gardening!
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“WEEDING”? . . . oops
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Love the Zinnias.
I’ve never felt the need to blog, don’t do any social media but there was something about your SoS that, after a few weeks of reading what was going on in other peoples gardens, made me want to participate. I love doing it now, thank you.The lack of rain has caused so much extra work and frustration this year so I hope that you find time to relax in and enjoy your garden again soon.
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It’s rained! No watering for me tomorrow.
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This is very true – ‘writing topics’ is inversely proportional to ‘time for writing’ – I would perhaps slip in a half level called ‘one year old’ I can barely manage to tweet at the moment but have a few lingering drafts that will be no longer relevant to the season by the time I end up finishing them. Just writing SoS for tomorrow hopefully.
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Ha yes. My kids are largely self sufficient now.
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I love your pyramid! It is very true. We just need to take a look and take some pictures. Nothing too much to do, nothing to project. The cold is coming, I even tidied the sunshade of the terrace, cleaned the pond and turn off my drip system … where are we going ! ? …presumely autumn…
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This is great!
Sent from my iPhone
>
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We actually experienced heavy rain today. Unfortunately, we were on the A30 in Devon rather than at home in West Yorkshire! As you say, at least there are fewer weeds.
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It has actually rained here heavily for the last 2 or 3 hours!
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That’s good news!
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I feel the same this year and enjoying summer living as well as all the gardening tasks rather gets in the way of blogging. Never mind, we can catch up in winter or when it rains.
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That’s the irony. Lots of time to blog in the winter, less going on in the garden. Ah well.
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I love your adapted hierarchy of needs. Hope you take time to do what you love, and come back refreshed.
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Not moaning, just the way it is.
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I guess when you have a garden that you’re a bit proud of it’s only natural to want to share it with other people. That must be a large part of why people go through the hassle of opening under the national gardens scheme. Social media provides a way of showing something off without having to provide tea, cakes and parking but for me the motivation is much the same, massaging my ego a little. It also seems to have become an end in itself though, with the requirement to come up with a regular posting becoming the driver of what people do with their lives, in their gardens or elsewhere. I’m too old to think that’s a good idea. I think your hierarchy is as it should be and I don’t really see that it could be otherwise. If that means no posts for a few weeks, so what?
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Yep exactly. Priorities…
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I like the pyramid and can definitely identify with this hierarchy! Very astute. I hope you have more time for blogging and sharing soon.
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We all look forward to hearing from you when life/gardening become more manageable.
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Thanks Mala!
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Opposite problem here. I have so many different garden projects I want to share (though whether anyone wants to read them) that I have resorted to scheduling my posts – one each week – for fear of making a nuisance of myself and boring my few followers. I think I might have posts stored until October.
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If you’ve got it flaunt it! I think you
could stretch to two week if you have some in the bag ready.
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Oh – so many of us are right there with you! And you forgot to mention a big aspect – the secondary things you do to make your garden enjoyable … like the circular patio you put in, or when you redesigned the yard and moved the stepping stones. All that takes major time! I have found myself lamenting the same … how and when do I find the time to write. As this is my first year of gardening (after a long break), I find that I am enjoying all the aspects of growing, planting, watering, weeding. But I also have so much to do outside of that to cultivate the entire area so that I can enjoy it the way that I want. There is never enough time and energy to write and share the experience. So, I feel your anguish!
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Yes all of that too! I have a backlog of jobs like that to do. I might extend a border this weekend. We’ll see…
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Ditto for me too. Lots to share but no time to do it. Frustrating but better than being bored I guess!
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Needs must and blogging about it is just icing on the cake. Life often gets in the way as it should do, but I think most of the blogging community into which you find yourself understand this. And your SOS is so popular you can give yourself a big pat on the back for keeping that one going. I for one thank you for introducing me to so many wonderful gardeners and bloggers and gardens via your meme.
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I know the feeling! Just don’t go completely silent or we’ll be worrying about you and pestering Granny for information.
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Look forward to it.
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