It seems like lately there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done, and I feel like the garden is being neglected this summer. Aside from weeding, which seems to be never ending, and deadheading I haven't done a whole lot to it this summer. I did start on my shed garden which is looking pretty good, but really for the most part I just haven't really been in the mood like I normally am. I know usually towards the end of August I've gotten tired of watering and then get rejuvenated in the fall, but this year I've felt the way I normally feel at the end of the season for a lot of the summer. Do other gardeners go through cycles like this? I do love my garden and still enjoy gardening, it just seems this year it hasn't felt the same as usual. I've blamed most of my garden woes on the bad weather we had earlier in the year, maybe I can blame my garden mood on that too.☺
Well, enough of the complaining. I really shouldn't complain when the garden is blooming it's head off despite the gardener not doing much to it. Maybe that's the problem, the garden doesn't really need me. Did I make it so low maintenance that now there's not much for me to do? Hmmm...
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| Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Snow Queen' |
Thank you to everyone that stops by to read or comment. I appreciate the time it takes, as I know life is busy for all of us. I'm sure once school resumes I'll be able to spend a little more time visiting your blogs and seeing how your gardens are growing.
I won't be around much for the next couple of weeks since summer vacation is wrapping up. I'll still try to visit, but probably won't be posting too much.
Have a nice break. Lovely flowers.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the break Catherine. I think we're all in the same boat. I've had a tough time blogging and visiting blogs the last couple of weeks...just too much to do! We'll see you soon :)
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding?? I hate being outside during the summer especially now...mosquitos, 150 gazillion degrees and the humidity is at 100 percent....ugh....it's definitely a cycle. Once October hits, the bug will come back to you...just enjoy the flowers from your windows and catch up on all those books you've been meaning to read:)Summer is almost over:(
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine - this has been a weird weather year. I am still picking up sticks and branches from the storms - We will all catch up in the fall and especially in the winter when we are dreaming about our gardens. Enjoy some time off. You are amazing! I am so glad to have "met" you.
ReplyDeleteGardens are a LOT of work. Sometimes a break is nice.
ReplyDeleteHappy vacation........relax...you don't have to post every day...once a week or two weeeks is also enough......enjoy darling....love Ria.....
ReplyDeleteI feel same sometimes and if you are not in the mood don't do anything.There is always next year.
ReplyDeleteJust rest and enjoy :)
I'm exactly the same this year Catherine - I have not even cut the lawn in 2 weeks but now I really need to get out there and tidy some things but our weather has not been great all summer.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice little vacation - I'll be doing the same as you next week as our boys go back on 19th August.
Dear Catherine, I completely understand what you are saying here and, maybe at moments like this with the garden, it is best to leave it for a while so that after a break one will return refreshed. One can, after all, sometimes have a little too much even of the things one loves best.
ReplyDeleteWe shall look forward to your being back to normal in due course.
Catherine, Enjoy your break ... and yes I go thru a similar cycle with my gardens every year... spring is full go and then a slow down in the hotter dog days ... then fall is full speed again till winter sets in. Like plants we too have many needs and when they are not all met well we need to take a break. I will miss your beautiful posts but look forward to your refreshed return when you can. ;>)
ReplyDeleteDear Catherine ~ Life definitely goes in cycles. I can totally understand taking a break from blogging as I've thought about it myself. Blogging takes time, sometimes big chunks of time, and things get left undone, at least for me that happens.
ReplyDeleteI think this year is different for a lot of us, and I don't think it's just the weather, I think it has to do with the unsettling ways of our country right now. We all have our own lives we are living, trying to do our best with what we have, where we are. None of us knows what tomorrow may bring.
I think too, as in my case, I need to scale back in the gardening, as it's almost too much for me to handle. Well, at least that's how I feel right now. This summer's heat and humidity have really been awful, and I just feel like staying indoors in the air-conditioning. I'm looking forward to cooler weather. Unfortunately for us down here, gardens grow 365 days a year, so there is no break and there is always something that needs doing.
Enjoy these next few weeks with your daughters. Relax, enjoy your lovely gardens and having fun with your girls. That's what is important.
I'll look forward to your posts when you come back, refreshed and ready to share with us once again the beauty that is all around you.
Love and hugs to you.
FlowerLady
Catherine, I think we are go through this. I used to begin feeling my garden was done in July and I would get pretty disgusted about the way everything looked.
ReplyDeleteIt has gotten a little better as I learned to put in more plants that bloomed at different times but this year has been a challenge with the heat and the rain. I have really set my mind to fall right now.
Take care and when you get back we'll talk about cabbages and pumpkins!
Eileen
It's kind of you to let us know you'll be gone for awhile so we don't worry about you!
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll return in the fall. The break will give you new perspective and time to enjoy your yard and garden.
(If it's any consolation, mine has been quite neglected, too. But, I DID plan it to be low maintenance. So maybe we should congratulate ourselves for accomplishing THAT goal :)
We all go thru these cycles Catherine and taking a break from blogging can be a true gift to yourself. Don't worry, you'll get that feel for the garden again it is normal to be up and down with it. Sometimes we all just grit our teeth and throw our hands in the air but it always comes back at some point. You have a good break and enjoy getting the girls back to school and relaxing.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way at times, too. Summer demands more...with kids at home and trying to do everything. Our boys go back to school 23 or 24 of August and things seem to get back to "normal" ... well, more of a routine anyway.
ReplyDeleteYour garden always looks beautiful because of you!! :)
Enjoy your break - and come back refreshed and re-energized!
ReplyDeleteCatherine - I empathize with you, but you have children at home and time spent with them is precious.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your break from blogging.
Freda
We all can waste precious time on this blogging. Time better spent with family, children, spouses, home duties. Sit back and breathe , we'll wait for you. take care, Gina
ReplyDeleteI hear you about the garden, it's sometimes overbearing. The cleaning, the watering, the weeding. And yes, there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day.
ReplyDeleteSadly I usually just ignore mine the last few weeks of summer, shut those patio doors against the heat, and let everything wither. After the slugs have had their fill of the hosta's, and the hydrangea's have faded, what can you do. I am definitely a spring gardener.
Happy Summer
Jen
Enjoy the rest of summer with your girls! Don't mind me. I may stop by to view your pond or the lovely path.
ReplyDeleteWe'll miss you, Catherine, but enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely PINK weekend.
TTFN ~ Marydon
My enthusiasm for my garden as flagged recently but I have spent the day working my way through one of the borders in a leisurely manner rather than the usual rush and I am now feeling far more enthuastic
ReplyDeleteI think the sweet has worn off summer. Now it's down to bitter heat and waiting for fall. You're lucky that you have a very blooming garden however. Look at it from indoors, since it's taking care of itself!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Yes, I confess I go thru cycles when it comes to the gardens. And August is winding down. The weather has just been horrible this year.
ReplyDeleteSo go and enjoy your Vacation and thank yourself for making a low maintance garden. Your gardens are great....
I too go through cycles with my gardening. Right now it's so hot outside that sitting indoors at the computer visiting blogs seems very appealing to me! I get real spurts of enthusiasm for gardening in spring and in fall. Enjoy your time with your family and with your garden. We'll still be here when you want to visit again :-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your well deserved break Catherine. If you've kept up with deadheading and weeding you're far ahead of me, I haven't done much of either. I also feel like I've run out of steam a little. Life will get into more of a routine in September. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely on the same page. I just feel tired and I think most of it is due to the dry and hot weather. Have a good break!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your two weeks off. A little R & R is good for the spirit and soul.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy some time away, enjoy your kids and family ~ The weather has been lousy this year! Take care and we'll be seeing you in time for fall!
ReplyDeleteCatherine, thanks so much for the well wishes, I do so appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing your blog posts again.
Jen
Catherine, You'll be missed but I do understand. Life just gets too busy sometimes! I spent about 4 hours in the garden yesterday and want to work out there today but it's over 90 degrees - so I lasted a few minutes and then decided the garden tasks can wait! We are in the midst of a big project - we're having two new patios put in. Should be done this week, if the weather cooperates. Give the little gardeners and Gracie and Cookie a kiss for me! They're all adorable!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Beth
Catherine - you have a minimum of 32 kindred spirits (via comments) sharing your blog sentiments.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago I thought it was only me (because I was a 'newbie' this year) in that blog 'funk'. Now I'm shedding the guilt and enjoying whatever comes.... Thanks for sharing!
Catherine -
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon. It is okay to let your garden be self sufficient for a while. I have not been a hands on gardener this summer either, I think it has something to do with th opressive heat and mosquitos.
Enjoy the next few weeks.
I think we all go through this - just get overwhelmed with all that needs to be done outside and still try to post and visit our blogging friends. I've always wondered how some of you are so good at it while I just poke along. And we're here alone so don't have to worry about getting the kids here and there and having meals right on time, not to mention it's time for school shopping too. I think it's time for a much needed break for you as much as we all hate to see you not be here everyday. Guess that's just selfish on my part to want to be able to keep reading your wonderful posts each day and see your pictures. But I'll be brave and let ya go do what you have to do. ;-) Good luck and hurry back!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're definitely not alone Catherine. I'm sure the break will feel good. I did that last summer and I came back ready to "go" again.
ReplyDeleteNo worries on a little complaining either ~ you listen to some of us do a lot of that (or maybe that's just me) during the winter months!!
The Hydrangea photo is wonderful.
Enjoy your next few weeks of August Catherine!
ReplyDeletexo Catherine
A vacation is good for the soul ... enjoy, Catherine.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your break Catherine. Everyone has times of dissatisfaction towards the garden, it's an August thing.
ReplyDeleteTake a break. We all need it sometime. Oh and about the garden I think we all find ourselves in the same boat sometime. I have not wanted to do any work in the gardens either. But it does make ya feel good to know that it is OK without you for a little while.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures!! I just posted on the frustration I have been feeling lately. It's not easy depending on the weather for the good fortune of our plants!! Hang in there--fall will be here soon. Your wildlife certification sign provoked me to check out that website--and I also became a certified wildlife habitat!! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteYEP, we all go through that garden roller coaster of emotions. Some of it has to do with just too much work.
ReplyDeleteI feel lucky. My summer is my winter. When I am in Maine I have only pots and windowboxes, but when I am in California I am a SLAVE to my beloved garden. I have my good days AND my bad days.
Enjoy yourself dear,
Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island
enjoy your vacation catherine....but you knw am addicted to your blog and am missing your posts like CRAZILY :( ....i love the way write and i must say you have a very beautiful neat and superb....
ReplyDeleteCYA..
I totally understand. I haven't been online in weeks and my hubbie asked me when the last time was I managed to get outside in the morning to view the garden! It's been one crazy summer.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your vaca!
Hi Catherine, I know exactely how you feel. I feel just the same way about gardening myself. I do blame it on the weard wether we've had this year. Long winter, almost no spring, then extrem heat and now a lot of rain. Enjoy your vacation and try to forget everything about gardening for a while / kram gittan
ReplyDeleteI have said this on other blogs. I feel this time of the year in the garden is transition time. You'll get a second wind in a couple of weeks and all will be good in the garden again.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine, In one word, yes. I've had bouts of both obsession for and indifference to my garden. It's kind of an ebb and flow like most relationships I think. I've gotten myself all in a dither over during the indifference phase worried that the garden would fall into disarray but the pendulum always seems to veer back towards obsession eventually. Human nature I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can rest assured with my words. I think those of us who really love our gardens go through these mood cycles and it's just part of the package.
Vacation time! I hope you and your family have a fabulous time.
Beautiful hydrangea blossom!
Wow! I am the 47th comment on this blog! looks like you will be missed. Have a great Summer and look forward to seeing you back. xx Matron
ReplyDeleteYour snow queen is gorgeous. We all go through these cycles. Have a wonderful break and we'll see you soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine,
ReplyDeleteI am normally behind in everything I do. I go through cycles where I don't make it to the garden as much, usually due to an ache or pain. This summer, I made myself do some house cleaning. I told Larry that next year, I'll be able to relax in the garden more, because the house won't be so cluttered.
I had told myself to take a break from blogging, too, but I just kept posting away, and just didn't get to as many other blogs.
I hope your days are going well! (I am on my lunch break, as this is my second day back to work.)
Hello Catherine, I certainly understand your need for a break and I know how much you are enjoying your daughters this summer. Just stopping by to say you are missed greatly and admired by so many. Hope the girls are enjoying every minute of their free time! Take care. Mildred
ReplyDelete