How to Garden with a Busy Schedule – Advice for Busy People from Busy People

Are you having trouble fitting in everything you need to do but still have things you want to do –  like garden? Here are the two best time saving tips for having your garden and eating from it, too! 😉

Harvest of Greens, Okra and Tomatillos

Install a Drip Irrigation System

The first summer in which I really got into gardening and expanded our growing space was followed by me going back to work and having less time to water before heading out the door.

I enlisted my husband for some help and together we installed a drip irrigation system. It saved me about an hour of watering every night, and our plants did better with consistent watering. Here is an excellent article that teaches you all about drip systems and a drip irrigation kit you can order online to get started. This isn’t the kit we use but it includes the same parts as the one we purchased, and this listing has a great video tutorial to help you know what is best for your space.

Use a Timer

To take it a step further, my husband bought what ultimately has been the single greatest step towards us growing the majority of our produce while being away from home, going on weekend getaways and week-long vacations.

What was it? A programmable timer for our drip system! This has made watering completely hands-free for us except for the rare times we have seeds in the ground (we have been starting most of our seeds inside ever since we started gardening year-round with these two steps). Here is the timer recommended with the drip irrigation kit mentioned above.

Installing a drip irrigation system and a timer in the garden are what allowed me to work full-time and maintain a decent-sized garden. See a tour of most of our growing space here!

Greens and Flowers Harvested from the Garden

Now, here is a round-up of advice from other folks who are growing their own food amidst all the busy-ness in their lives. There is a little something for a large variety of life situations.

Mom of Five Grows Tons of Food with Occasional Help from Her Kids

Learn how to juggle parenthood and gardening while encouraging the kids to get their hands in the dirt, too. This interview features Angela Judd, a mom of five – yes FIVE! – who grows her family’s food (including loads of delicious fruit).

Couple Works Full-Time While Raising Animals and Growing Food on ⅛ Acre

Get tips for growing your own food and raising animals in a small space, including how to utilize your front yard. Husband and wife team, Amie and Josh, garden and raise chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats and two dogs on ⅛ acre in an urban setting while both working full time.

Mom of Two Grows Food for Her Family and a Local Soup Kitchen While Earning her PhD and Working Full-Time

Learn Kate Neale’s advice for gardening despite being away from home all day and learn how she started growing food for her local soup kitchen as well.

Dad and Business IT Analyst Grows Food for His Family

Learn the three things Erwin Ramos, a dad and Business IT Analyst, wishes he knew before he started growing his own food. You will LOVE his pictures – they are all so vibrant!

Student Grows Food for Her Family, Including Harvest Baskets for Her Grandma, While Rescuing Animals

Get three actionable tips for beginner gardeners, including Isolde Mattart’s favorite tomato varieties, and see the most adorable animals pics ever!

Mom, Homeschooler, Gardener, Seamstress, Knitter and Crafter Grows Food for Her Family and Teaches Her Children How to Grow As Well

Get advice on how to slow down and lead a simpler life from a mom of two who homesteads in the mountains on 12 acres. Lisa Coffee is also the owner of Little Meadow Studio where she sells gorgeous harvest baskets.

School Teacher Grows Her Own Food While Teaching Her Students How to Garden

Learn how to balance teaching full-time and growing your own food and find out Sophea McGuirl’s favorite tomato variety.

Mom of Three Raises Bees, Chickens, Dogs and a Cat While Volunteering at the School Garden and Growing Her Family’s Food

Learn Mia Cover’s top three tips for juggling being a wife, mom of 3 kids, raising animals and volunteering her time.

Farmer’s Wife and Mother of Three Homeschools and Homesteads While Blogging

Learn how this Farmer’s Wife manages being a gardener, blogger, homeschooling momma and wife to a farmer.

I hope you’ve found encouragement for gardening amidst your busy-ness. If you are planning to start your very first garden, here is an awesome series that, in the long-run, will save you what we are all wanting more of these days – time! The series walks you through each step of the process helping you to avoid beginner gardener mistakes.

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