Habits & Intuition

A healthy garden is built by developing the right habits.

I don’t believe in the “green thumb” idea. I think there are just people who develop key gardening habits and intuition, and those who don’t.

For me, one of those habits is keeping a few important tools in my harvest apron for hot months—I like Roo… not sponsored, just love their product—and then in my gardener’s smock for the cool months, and keeping that on a hook right by the door.

If my pruners, twine + cutter, and some seasonal seed packets, are just right there by the door, it’s so easy to slip on that apron and walk through the garden for 5-10 minutes after dropping my kids off.

Those habits lead to intuition: You just sense what needs to be done.

I have what I need at my hip when I notice a diseased branch that needs removed, full-flush mint that needs cut back, a pepper plant falling over, lavender ready to harvest, or an empty spot where a few more seeds could go.

A lot of the success we have as gardeners is just noticing what needs doing, and then doing it at the right time.

I talk about James Clear’s concept of “habit stacking” a bit in the 4th section of The Uncomplicated Gardener. It’s been helpful for me. It’s about connecting habits—letting them build on top of each other over time.

In the zine, I also walk through the most important habits to build. The first of which is to build the habit of looking at your plants and noticing what’s going on with them.

And once you build the habit of noticing, find ways to make it as convenient as possible to do the next right things at the right time. You’ll see your efforts rewarded.

If you’re in the habit of doing the right things at the right time most of the time, that habit will cover for you when you’re feeling lazy.

A healthy garden can handle a little neglect without falling apart.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

[workshop] The Uncomplicated Gardener: A Workshop
Farm in the Wildwood | June 8 at 10am
more info

[pop-up event] The Uncomplicated Gardener
M. Judson Booksellers | June 22 at 10am
more info

RESOURCES

[zine] The Uncomplicated Gardener
Good Printed Things
get a copy

[map] Paper Routes Plants Map
Good Printed Things
get a copy