Friends, can I tell a secret? Gardening overwhelms me.

Our little home has lots of garden space. Most of it was overgrown with weeds when we moved in. We cleaned up the space, but I have not been able to overcome my mental block to plant anything new. Have your thoughts ever kept you from doing something? You know you are capable, but you just can't tackle the project.

Our minds can play games with us. I doubt myself a lot. I know I am capable, but I let the voice in my head tell me differently. Internally, my brain convinces me that gardening is impossible. There are so many different variables. Are your plants annuals or perennials? Do they like sun or shade? Wet or dry? What color are the blooms? When do they bloom? What size will they be when full grown? How far apart should you plant them? My environmental background makes me add a few more questions: Are the plants native? Will they be invasive? In the face of all the variables, I tend to close down and turn away from the decision. My coping mechanism, when an issue seems overwhelming, is to close down and evade the issue. 

By closing down, I miss out on opportunities for growth. Accomplishing something, especially when it seems impossibly overwhelming, gives a great boost of confidence. I can take the momentum from one small project done successfully and use it to combat negativity when tackling the next project. 

Such a lovely garden space, I only wish it were mine!

We tackled a small and manageable space this summer. The area used to hold a pond, but the previous owners took the pond liner with them. We've been slowly filling in the whole with dirt and gravel. Finally, we laid patio brick across the whole area, with bordering garden areas.  I am actually excited about planting hydrangeas and hosta in the new space. 

Two things make the new space manageable to me. It is a very defined space. I can picture exactly how it will look with the new plants. Also, I know what I want. I am choosing to focus in on one option and go with it. I could research extensively to find a beautiful plant arrangement, but I know myself. I know that I will get overwhelmed with the options. Instead, when I began noticing how attractive hydrangeas are this summer, I realized they would be perfect in my space. I checked what kind of growing conditions they need, but that was all. I've decided on hydrangeas, and in order to keep the momentum of my decision, I am sticking to the one option. Mentally narrowing down the options and focusing helped make the project doable. 

Friends, let me tell you. Done is so much better than perfect. I am choosing to be satisfied with done and enjoy the small success.