Hi I’m Jen! I believe time spent gardening nurtures our hearts as well as our plants. Photo: Josephine Leonard
You’ve started a garden each spring for years…
- But by summer the weeds are winning.
- The plants you thought would be the perfect choice are now dead.
- -or- The plants you chose are doing so well they may, in fact, swallow the side of your house.
And you wonder, “What was I thinking?”
- You’re exhausted, both mentally and physically.
- You “should” be better at this by now.
- You really just want to enjoy being in your garden, but it’s become a chore among all the gazillion other things you’re trying to accomplish each day.
I can help. Gardening doesn’t have to be a chore.
Because I believe time spent gardening nurtures our hearts as well as our plants.
What readers are saying:
“Once again you speak to my heart! My garden is neglected because I can’t spend enough time there. I think of giving it up but I love planning, planting and harvesting. Your words are so encouraging!” –Cheryl Evert
“I definitely feel that you’re a real person like me who has a family and works and wants to have a wonderful garden.” –Pam Gonzalez
Imagine…
- Relaxing in your garden with your feet up and favorite beverage in hand, enjoying the scents, sounds and scenery– instead of working yourself to death.
- A day when instead of feeling like your yard is an endless “To-Do” list that you never complete, you do a few select things and it’s enough. Really.
- Instead of struggling to keep up with your garden on top of everything else in your life, your garden is your “happy place” where you can sit back, take a deep breath, and give yourself a moment to recharge.
When you become a member of the Grounded and Growing community, you’ll finally take the garden off your “To-Do” list and allow yourself time to enjoy your garden and savor the peace and serenity there.
Plus you’ll receive “15 Tips to Become a ’15-Minute Gardener’” so you can spend less time working ON your garden and more time enjoying being IN your garden.
How I Learned to Love Gardening Again
As a new homeowner with a Ph.D. in Horticulture, I jumped into gardening headfirst—planting every available plant in every free inch. My garden grew … and grew. But then came the weeds! Then other obligations crowded in. Gardening was a joy at first, but soon my only motivation to keep my garden going was to prove I could.
After I became a mom, my garden was never the same—which in hindsight is probably a good thing. Hours of uninterrupted free time for working in the garden just didn’t exist anymore; I needed a new approach— things like different plants and gardening methods to make my garden tasks easier– and cultivating a “less is more” approach.
In simplifying my garden, I found a sense of peace and calm that hustling and being chronically busy never ever provided. And underneath all the “shoulds” and endless “to-do” lists, I also found myself.
If you’re in the maxed out, burned out space I was and are looking for a “Garden Yoda”** to show you the way to a more relaxed way of being both in and out of the garden, I can help.
** A friend’s kids have referred to me as the “Garden Yoda” for years. I’m not sure they even remember my real name anymore!
I love breaking garden tasks down into do-able chunks and getting down to the key issues that focus on creating success in the garden—and life in general. I also can’t resist garden-related recipes and DIY projects—ones that are simple and actually work! Here are some of my most popular posts:
Three Questions for a Successful Vegetable Garden
How to Turn Your Dandelions into Sunflowers
DIY Succulent Kokedama
You can also find me periodically as an expert panelist on the MidAmerican Gardener show, a live call-in PBS television program broadcast from WILL in Urbana, IL.
If you need a person to chat with about gardening and life, join the Grounded and Growing community today! It’s completely free, and you’ll receive “15 Tips to Become a ’15-Minute Gardener’” when you join.
And please email me with your gardening questions at jen@groundedandgrowing.com . Helping busy people find realistic gardening solutions is why I’m here!
