Spending time gardening is one of my favorite leisure activities. Gardening can have a lot of meanings, and the leisurely type that I’m referring to is not what always occurs at our house. A few times each summer Trevor and I will enter into a weekend with a list a mile long of things that need to get done in a short time frame. Lay the Preen down during naptime; run to the greenhouse and bribe one kid (and on a good day, both) to go along so the other parent can work at warp speed; dig out the dead evergreens between birthday parties; pull the weeds that look like Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors before it rains; etc. The leisurely type of gardening is what I do alone, in the evening or perhaps on the weekend if the family is elsewhere. There’s no email to answer, no IPhone to glance at, no child needing this or that on a moment’s notice. It’s peaceful, quiet, and relaxing. Interestingly, it’s still a goal oriented activity in that there is real pleasure in cultivating something beautiful. But the attention required can and should be effortless and not stress-inducing, especially when so much else in life is. Having too much uncertainty with growing results, not being able to dedicate the required time for upkeep and spending too much money can all lead to unwanted anxiety and ruin the experience. With the goal of minimizing any of those potential stressors, my mom gave me great guidance when setting up my garden, and continues to give me helpful tips as it matures. Below are some of her best gardening tips, gathered over the years from her mother, grandmother, friends and experience.

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