How do you make time?

[Alison]

I make time, by neglecting the Housework - easy choice really!

What's housework?

[Jelliebabe]

G4 & Alison - my favourite saying = Dull women have immaculate houses

[susieq100]

I work FT too, but in a school (so get time off for good behaviour) and then make the most of the school hols. I am sitting here writing this, I have no car today so can't get to the lottie, but the sun has just come out and I am going to go and 'play' in the greenhouse. Do what you can, when you can. I too am a fan of early summer mornings ... often water the greenhouse and armpit tomatoes at 6.00 am ... best time of the day!

[missalaska]

I'm upside down so heading into Autumn.... but unlike this organised lot above me, I really struggle to make time all year round and wish I could have more time in my garden. I don't have a TV so I'm not couch potato-ing away.

[caron]

I make sure the lottie is cleared and ready for planting by March, mine is ready now, I just need to hoe once a week to keep the weeds at bay. This way, as soon as frost danger is over, I can get my seedlings in without having to worry about weeding or digging first.

[solway cropper]

I'm in the lucky position of working from home so I can basically please myself. If the weather is fine I spend a few hours in the garden and when it's wet (or dark) I do what my wife says I should be doing instead of gardening.

This is my fifth season in this garden so things are more or less as I want them to be, although the first few years were very hard as I was starting from scratch. I've now adopted a no-dig approach and use a lot of block planting which means there is never a big job that needs doing, just a succession of little ones.

[Chef_uk]

First year growing veg so Plan Plan Plan has been the strategy since the end of last summer. Speadsheets, Word Documents, Photoshop Plans, and Whole favourite folders of websites with growfruitandveg sitting proudly at the top has kept me busy during the dark, cold, and miserable winter we have had.

Full time job with 24 mile drive each way will limit my time as will parenting with my wife for our 3 kids under 4 years old so without a plan I would be nowhere right now.

Thankfully I have shift work so a 4am alarm clock twice a week means I have the whole afternoon off I still try to fit in some sleep but spend an hour first going over everything checking its all coming along nicely. As the days warm up I can forgo the afternoon sleep.

As the nights stay lighter for longer, I will be out in the fresh air more than ever before.

[morverngirl]

I took early retirement from my work in NHS as a Physio, I now work from home for my husband doing office work so my time is flexible. My husband helps with heavy stuff when has free time and not playing golf. My back is ruined after a lifetime of heavy lifting and I now have Fibromyalgia but luckily I know how to manage my aches and pains and work on plot little and often,rain and heavy clay soil permitting.At present my conservatory has been taken over by my sowing ,bags of JI No1 and 2 and propagators. My plot is only a few minutes drive away, if I walk there I'm unlikely to be able to do all my jobs and as the plot had not been cultivated in years there were a lot of brambles etc to be dug out. Little and often is the word, and then fit in the baking, Housework - well it doesn't exist from now until October and as for holidays - I think December /January might be a good time.

[chucks]

As I work FT I tend to make a list of things to do at the weekend. When the light stretches I am normally out til 9 or later.

Love early spring mornings too!!

[planetologist]

To quote/paraphrase somebody whose name I don't remember:
You cannot save time, you can only spend it, you can either spend it wisely or foolishly.

Recognising that this might not be what you wanted to know:
Use perennials
Start early
Make things easier by using mulch, encouraging predators
Accept that "failures" may not look attractive but often taste great.

[fruitylou]

We often spend our 'family time' in the garden together, I enjoy getting my young son involved and he loves pottering about with us. Other than that in the summer I wake up before everyone and pop out in the garden to do a couple of light jobs and harvesting, it's really peaceful and starts the day off beautifully.

[Claire72]

Time? what is that?
I set myself a goal of spending at least 10 mins in the garden each day. Unfortunately, I made this resolution in January, and discovered when I went to work, that it was dark in the morning and when I got home!!!
I plan to restart that 10 minute goal now that the evenings are a little lighter!

[coreopsis]

I didn't manage to clear my garden(not big)last year due to health issues.I did it when i felt fit enough for the task(including cleaning the greenhouse from last year plants not so long ago).
I have changed my approach since-try to do little and often instead of bulk job at the time(you never know what the weather's going to be like).
Now I have:clean greenhouse ready for planting,beds cleared of weeds(curious for how long)and ready for planting,most of the pots washed and ready to use(done in autumn)
Still to do:the rest of rotten manure to spread on the ground and that's it.I don't think a delay of week or two makes any difference-if the weather's fine the plants will soon catch up,no point in winding myself up for not planting when I planned for whatever reason.

[JamesM]

I work and have a two-year old so this time of year with it getting dark early and being cold it's a struggle to get out there especially as everything seems to take longer than i say it will! Last year i managed to do it while my son had a ecent afternoon nap

It the spring/summer it's not such a problem as there's a good couple of free hours each night where i rarely have anything i need to prioritise over the garden

[Dappyjen]

Because it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I come home, for the first three months of the year I keep a big plastic box of potting compost in my kitchen with all my pots stacked up beside it. That way I can do a bit of sowing in the evenings, whenever I get the chance, even if it's too dark/cold/wet to go outside to the shed.

Once seeds are sowed, I find it easy to make time for them, because they are all around me growing and needing care. Making a cold frame last October has completely revolutionised things for me as well, by providing extra space, which helps me to get an early start. Hooray for cold frames!