You’d be forgiven for thinking that gardening was slow by its very nature: plants aren’t renowned for growing at a speedy rate, and the best quality to possess as a gardener is patience! But many modern gardening practices are cheats that speed up the process in the short term, fighting against nature’s rhythms and making more work for us in the long-term.
Embracing slow gardening techniques will keep your garden flourishing for many years to come. If you’d like to take a slower approach to gardening, there are a few basic principles to bear in mind. Here’s a quick guide to getting started.
Avoid quick fixes
It’s tempting to make a sneaky visit to the garden centre and come back laden with pre-grown plants when the garden’s looking sparse. But remember you’re in for the long haul and that means waiting out periods of slower growth and less activity. By bringing in plants that have spent most of their lives growing elsewhere, you’ll be taking up space you could use to grow your own from scratch – these will prosper better grown in one environment than plants that are moved around.
More importantly, by seeing through the entire process from seed to plant, flower and fruit you’ll want to invest more time and energy in your garden plants, since you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you were there at every stage.
Compost
Composting lies at the heart of slow gardening as it uses plants at every stage at their life cycle, removing the need for chemical fertilizers. This allows you to garden more responsibly, while helping your plants to thrive. Once you’ve got a sizeable compost heap set up, you’re well on the way to becoming a proficient organic gardener: have a look at these suggestions on how to get started.
Enjoy garden time
One happy side effect of slow gardening is that you’ll get to spend far more time outdoors. Don’t see this time as hard work: it’s a great opportunity to relax enjoy your developing garden. One of the best things about slow gardening is that it encourages you to look to the long-term, and takes away the pressure of expecting everything to happen at once. Think about getting some comfortable garden furniture so that you can best enjoy the experience, and invite friends and family to join you in your new pastime.
Image: Abby Lanes
