The best laid plans…

I’m sitting indoors looking out at the sleety rain pummelling my garden, still pretty sodden from being covered in several inches of snow and the subsequent thaw.  It wasn’t supposed to be like this.  My plan for this week involved taking annual leave from work,  getting lots of seeds pricked out, sowing more, mulching, digging, planting and generally getting a head start on spring – preferably with the sun shining all the while!

But that’s not how it’s worked out; I rescheduled annual leave because of the snow disruption and now, on my only clear day off, the weather has taken a turn for the hideous.  Even working in the greenhouse would be cold and miserable.

So, I’m back to planning instead of doing.  And there are So. Many. Plans.  I want to do it all.  Vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs, planting, growing – even selling!  Front garden, back garden, secret garden and school garden.  And learning too – I want to study horticulture, garden photography, research and write things…I want to figure out where I fit into the world of horticulture.  Do I have a speciality?  Could I be an expert in something? Should I blog more, read more, start a podcast?  I’ve never been so entirely gripped by a subject that I want it to fill up all these areas of my life, and I’m desperate to move forward, find my way, join the growing community, show people what I can do…  so many plans, but so little time.

I’m in denial about the sad truth of the matter…I just don’t have the time to do all of this.  And if I try to do too much I won’t do any of it well.  A wise man called Ron Swanson* once said “Never half-ass two things.  Whole ass one thing.” Ok, I’m not going to choose just one thing to focus on in my garden or my home or life this year, but the principle is sound – if I try to do too much I won’t do any of it well, and probably make myself unhappy and stressed out that I won’t be achieving what I wanted.

So, what DO I choose?  What ideas do I reject?  Like I said – I want to do it all!  I could fit it all in if only I could give up work, or criminally neglect my children and family – or do without sleep?!  Obviously none of these is a realistic choice, and I will continue to do what I do, and that is to fit as much garden time as possible into my free days, and to read and watch and absorb plant knowledge and expertise from others.

I think I also need to decide what the focus is for this blog.  As you can tell from the above witterings, it’s currently a bit rambly and unfocused… once I decide what my Garden Thing is I should probably write more about that.  Propagation?  Garden re-design?  Perennials?

I’m not sure about any of this yet, but if the weather stays as it is, I’ll have plenty of time to think about it…

*Ron Swanson, Parks and Recreation