My Thoughts on What Leads to Summer Garden Burnout

What is garden burnout? Have you ever felt tired of thinking, worrying and working out in the garden? This is normal! We have all felt it at one time or another. Here are some of my thoughts on why this occurs and I discuss my views on why I can feel burned out and a few tips that help me get through the gardening rough patches.

It’s kind of funny how towards the end of winter all I want to do is get out in the garden more often. At that time it feels like spring will never arrive and it is too hard to grow in the winter. In the midst of winter I am wishing for more light in the garden because it seems like the plants are not getting enough sunlight and warmth. It feels dark and cold. Then at the end of summer the feelings are polar opposite. It feels like the plants are getting scorched to death and they need more shade. At the end of summer the plants really look like they have been through it all and it shows. I think this might be why we, as gardeners, suffer from garden burnout at this time. Let me explain further.

I am fortunate to have pretty decent growing seasons year round. With living in the high desert of California our winters are not too extreme. We do have freezing temps but they are usually around the 30’s and don’t last very long. This leaves me with the opportunity to grow quite a bit of seasonal veggies. The list can include carrots, radishes, all kinds of lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, onion, garlic, cilantro, just to name a few. The amazing thing about gardening in the winter is the lack of bugs and pests! Oh my goodness it is a nice break from dealing with all the critters, good and bad. The days may be shorter and the shifts in daylight leave part of the garden feeling a little darker than I would like but overall winter gardening is very enjoyable.

The funny thing is that even though I love winter gardening, I still reach a point during the winter when I start dreaming of summer because of the longer days, more light and warmer weather will make for better growing conditions, right?

As spring begins it is like a dream come true, breaking through the cold to warmer days. That’s when the many trips to the garden center begin because it feels like I can really start planting now. Like winter was holding me back somehow. So, spring brings the enthusiasm of full blown gardening. All the plants I missed over the cold winter like peppers, tomatoes, squash, melon, flowers and so on. 

The problem with spring is that it lulls in to believe you can plant it all. The temperatures are cool enough to where I only need to water once or twice a week, young plants or seedlings can be planted directly out in the garden and the dreaded pests have not awoken yet. So I run around the yard happily planting and buying more because in spring I have time to plant, decorate and do the harder stuff like yard clean-up and watering throughout the entire day.

Spring makes me feel energized to be outside and in the garden but then summer rolls in. At the beginning of summer the heat is enjoyable because we can get in our pool and still enjoy the day. Granted, whatever needs to be done in the garden needs to be completed by noon because after 12 o’clock the blazing sun doesn’t allow you to get anything done. At least for me anyway. The heat and sun make me feel sick, wimpy and whiny.

So, as summer troops forward the chipperness I started with the season begins to wane. The heat starts around 8am so that is when I start getting up and watering around 5am. The pests have fully awakened from their winter slumber and are in full blown munchy feast and breeding season. The plants that were thriving in the spring warmth are throwing a hissy fit in the blazing heat, not that I blame them. This is the part of summer where I feel like all of us, people, plants and pets are just trying to survive. I can not garden for fun; I am running out and getting as much done before I get too hot and just trying to get the plants to survive. By mid afternoon plants start to wilt and beg to give up.

I know, I am being more than a bit dramatic but as we enter August the heat does feel unbearable and the yard and plants show it. This year the extreme heat went into September making the summer feel extra long. I feel that this is when the garden burnout really hit full force for me. I was hot, sweaty and tired of trying to keep things going and the plants themselves were hot, tired and wanted to give up. Also, because of where I live and being able to grow pretty much year round, I have not had any breaks from gardening. I move on from season to season without a resting period for myself or for the garden. I feel that between the extreme heat, worrying about the drought and lack of any real break has lead to the dreaded “garden burnout.”

Here’s what I feel to be one of the greatest things about gardening…when I am tired and the plants are tired, I can just pull everything seasonal out and start fresh. Whether the fresh start is in a fall garden or having the garden go dormant until next spring, there is a time for change and renewal. 

I know I am starting to get a bit sappy here but hear me out. As you start to clean out your garden for the next season take time to reflect on what did work out. I feel that in general we tend to focus on what didn’t work out. Like for me this year the corn was a major failure. I didn’t time picking some of the melons correctly and the ants got to them or I picked them over ripe after taking care of them for several months. The ants and hornworms were a constant, never ending battle. But focusing on the good, all the squash I froze for winter soups, harvesting 28lbs of sweet potatoes my first time trying to grow them and all the melon that the kids could not stop eating. Those positives do help in turning around the burnout. For me though, the best really is a break from the heat and routine. Once the weather cooled enough and I was able to get out in the yard and clean and start playing around with something other than just trying to get it to survive helped change my perspective.

When you start to feel burnout with your garden, give yourself and your plants a lot of grace. We go through a lot in a season but each season doesn’t last long, even though it may feel that way. I love this saying from Grechin Rubin, “The days are long but the years are short.” I try to remind myself of this quote often.

Here are a few ideas I use to combat garden burnout:

• Remove every plant that is dead or dying. The feeling after the clean out is an instant refresh for me.
• Get away from the house and garden for the day. Don’t just give yourself a break but physically get away even if it is to the park, a relatives or friends house but get away and stop thinking about the garden.
• Make something for the garden that does not involve plants. Some ideas are making a birdbath, birdhouse, windchime, solar lights, hanging or installing a decorative piece like a metal sun. It just needs to be creative.
  • If you are needing creative garden ideas, here are a few previous blog posts of ours for inspiration:
    • Build a Flat Roof Birdhouse
    • The Folger’s Birdhouse
    • 160+ Sayings For Garden Signs
    • Raised Plastic Drum Planter (These are my favorite planters in our yard!)
    • How to Make a Tea Cup Bird Feeder
• Do the bare minimum until it cools off. Seriously, nothing makes me more grumpy about the garden than trying to have fun when in reality I feel like I am going to melt into a sweaty puddle.
• Make a list of what needs to be done in the cooler months to make summer easier next year. For me this list currently is:
  • Finish installing drip irrigation to all perennial plants.
  • Install drip irrigation to our fruit trees.
  • Install drip irrigation to our perimeter trees.
  • Give olla pots a try in the vegetable garden.
  • Minimize pots that need to be hand watered.
  • Build a 5-bin composter.
• Don’t forget to ask for help. Asking for help from a gardening friend or relative to complete a task can be fun and memorable for both of you.

Just a reminder that behind every great Instagram picture of a successful flower or veggie is a bunch of dead plants. I mean we, as gardeners, have to take pictures when there is a success because it was hard work getting there! Just don’t judge yourself or your garden on those pictures. That can also lead to garden burnout if we constantly compare ourselves and gardens to others. Don’t do that to yourself, remember how focused a photo can be. The area around the flower could look like a waste land but the photo doesn’t show the whole garden. Be kind to yourself and the progress you make as a gardener.

I really hope this blog has helped motivate you to get back into the garden! I know it has helped me with writing it. I finally planted the seeds for the fall plants I would like to try and grow.

Happy desert gardening and keep on growing!

Joy Simper has a full time job as a home schooling stay at home mom. She is the one that holds the house and yard together and keeps the kids in line. She enjoys gardening, including seed starting and propagating plants.