10 Quick Fixes for the Neglected Garden

Inside: Summer happens. Vacation, family gatherings, rain and all of a sudden your lovely garden is out of control. What’s a gardener to do? The following quick fixes for the neglected garden will help tame that jungle.

Garden plot in need of a quick fix for the neglected garden. — Trampled weeds waiting for the mower.

This year has been crazy. Summer has brought rain and more rain, family visits and planning a birthday party, editing projects and a trip to the ER–all within a couple of weeks’ time. Meanwhile, my previously well-tended garden had grown wild with weeds in a matter of days. Overwhelming didn’t begin to describe the scene. Walking around my yard was an exercise in frustration!

Maybe you find your garden in a similar state. Fortunately, with a few quick fixes, your green space can once again become a place you like–maybe even love.

Prioritize Garden Chores

To begin with, it’s time to perform a little garden triage. Are there plants that, without immediate attention, could wither and die? Weeds can choke many a good garden plot. Are there unruly flower beds in the front yard that detract from your home’s appearance?Maybe you have a “serenity now” place in the backyard that’s not so serene, thanks to overgrowth. It really depends on what is most important to you. Make a list of garden chores starting with what you want to fix first and so on and so on.

Focus.

Work on what’s easiest for the quick win.
Work on what’s hardest to see the most dramatic change.
Concentrate on one area of beauty, if flowers are your thing.
Accentuate the positive–what is mostly working in the garden–and make that your focal point to draw attention away from other areas until you get to them.

Taming the Jungle

Overgrown weeds in a raised bed of strawberries. — My strawberry bed in desperate need of weeding. (Spoiler alert: I did end up weeding it.)

Weeds are likely the biggest problem in most neglected gardens. Thankfully a few quick solutions can have that garden shaped up in no time.

Smother. My favorite trick by far for controlling weeds fast. Simply flatten your weeds and cover them with newspaper, cardboard, or black plastic, then add a layer of mulch. And don’t limit yourself to these items. Concrete blocks, ply wood, and burlap can also smother weeds. A well-placed piece of outdoor furniture can work wonders.

Trample. Speaking of flattening, here’s another idea for weeds, particularly those that border your garden plots and beds. Stomp, walk, and trample your weeds to place them in the path of the lawn mower right before mowing for quick removal.

Cut. While not as thorough as actually pulling, using a weed trimmer on a large patch can do much for making a garden plot more manageable–and less overwhelming! And the less overwhelmed, the more likely you’ll stay motivated to keep working.

Pull. Yes, I said pulling, but with a particular strategy. Clear away the weeds closest to each plant, moving outward. That allows more water and sun and nutrients to be used by the plant. The better your plants look, the more likely you are not to give up on your garden.

Attention to Plants

This tomato has been pruned and staked, and the weeds have been smothered with cardboard and newspaper. . . Now on to the rest of the garden!

Unruly plants are another issue. Here are more quick fixes for the neglected garden.

Stake. Tomatoes aren’t the only plants that benefit from staking. Heavy flowers, such as zinnias, that flop over can benefit from tying to a stake. So can herbs like dill. Staking can give your bed a more organized, cleaner look.

Prune. Many plants can be improved by pruning. Cutting off extra branches, deadheading flowers, clipping off excess growth and brown stems can bring order to your garden.

Use cages and trellises. Cages are a great and quick way to contain plants in small spaces and direct growth upward. Trellises also work well to keep plants growing toward the sky rather than sprawling on the ground.

Handling the Harvest

Nothing can make a gardener fall behind faster than a bumper crop. Here is what you can do.

Find others to pick. My sister-in-law is quite the canner, and if I have extra garden produce, she’s happy to take it off my hands. If you don’t have time to pick all of the fruits and veggies from your garden, you probably have a neighbor, relative, or friend who would gladly do so. Just put the word out.

Use what you can, leave the rest. I’ve had years when my schedule got too busy to deal with the harvest. In those seasons of my life, I didn’t worry much about the tomatoes that fell on the ground and rotted. Fertilizer–that’s the way I look at it. If I’m not feeding myself or others, at least I’m feeding the soil.

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While these ideas are nothing new to most gardeners, even the seasoned among us needs reminding of these simple tips when we’ve fallen behind in our gardens. Try these ten quick fixes for the neglected garden to bring back joy to your most treasured space.