How To Pick Up Gardening After Years Away

By Sian Thompson
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Gardening is a fantastic hobby to have. It allows you to spend time outside, where you can get fresh air and increase your vitamin D levels. It gets you involved with nature, which can teach you about sustainability and how to live in an eco-friendly way. 

But most of all, it doesn’t demand too much time and attention from you. Most plants are able to take care of themselves once you get them going, and you can sit back and enjoy them as they bloom. 

That being said, many gardeners can fall in and out of love with the hobby. There could be many reasons for this, but when the time comes that you’d like to pick it up again, gardening can feel quite inapproachable. 

That’s something we’re going to tackle today. If you’d like to try gardening again, but it feels like too big a job to take on, here are a few tips that could smooth you back in. ​

Tools of the gardening trade (Huy Phan) Pexels

Assess the Garden’s State

How much work is in your future? If it looks like a lot from just a quick glance, look deeper and check if that’s true. It’s easy to put yourself off gardening by not double checking this, but often it’s just overgrown plants obscuring the view! 

Start with One Corner

No gardener who’s been out of the game for a while should come back to tackle it all. That’ll easily overwhelm you, and could even turn you off finishing the job at all. Instead, start with just the one corner and work on that while you find your mojo again. 

This will save you a lot of time and effort throughout your garden project. You’ll be able to take the area bit by bit, and do what you want when you want. That’s what a good hobby is all about! 

And remember, commitment takes patience and practice - that’s what you’re brushing up here. 

See What New Tools You Need

Now’s the time to head into your shed or tool box and see what’s left over. A lot of gardeners will find they still have everything they need to get back to work, but that might not be the case for you. After all, your tools may have rusted, or when you plug something in, it just won’t start. 

Do a check over all your tools to see where problems crop up. Doing this before trying to garden means you won’t frustrate yourself by having to stop work, and all because you need to buy a new tool. 

You could also think about repairing some of your tools, especially if they cost a hefty amount when you first bought them. A lawn mower, for example, can usually be given the once over, and if you invest in some lawn mower replacement parts for a repair job, you won’t have to spend on a whole new mower. 

Want to pick up gardening again? The tips above could make it much easier to try.