
You might have GADS if you’ve ever gone out into your garden to do one thing, maybe something simple like dump a basket of plant trimmings into the compost bin, and you see something that needs attention, like a big weed that needs to be pulled, and you think, “Gads, I need to pull that weed.”
Then you pull that weed and see something else to be done, like maybe there are some zinnias that call out to be cut to be brought inside. “Gads, those are so pretty.” So you go get your pruners and cut the zinnias and bring them inside and find a vase for them. Then you see out of the corner of your eye that the house plants need some water. “Gads, I had better water those house plants.”
You find your watering can, fill it with water, water the house plants and some of the water gets on the floor. That leads you to decide to go ahead and clean up the entire floor. By then it is night time and there isn’t enough day light to go back out to the garden to do what you had started to do in the first place.
The next day you go outside and you see that the bushel basket of trimmings you were going to take out to the compost bin yesterday is still sitting right next to where you pulled that big weed. You think, “Gads, I need to dump that in the compost bin.”
You’ve come full circle through an attack of GADS.
I assure you that you can have attacks of GADS even in the winter when all your gardening is indoors. How do I know? See that picture above of the plastic tub of trimmings from the day I repotted the aloe plants? Let’s just say it took a few days for me to get back to it and take it out to the compost bin.
Cures?
There are no cures that I know of but here are some suggestions to maintain focus in the garden.
Set aside time for puttering in your garden. Flit about from task to task and do whatever you think needs to be done, but don’t start any big projects. Yes, basically you are setting aside time to just enjoy a full-fledged GADS attack on your garden. Enjoy it! Set no expectations, just go for it.
Likewise, set aside time for the big projects in your garden. Put on the blinders and focus in on finishing the project. Easier said than done, but with some practice, you can do it.
Always take your pruners with you when you go out in the garden, or have them nearby in your sunroom in the winter time. This way, if you see something that needs to be snipped or cut back, you can do it right away. You won’t have to go back for your pruners and encounter three or four other distractions on your path to and from wherever your pruners are. It helps to have a holster to keep your pruners at your side.
Put tools away when you are done with them. If you don’t know where “home” is for the pruners, for example, you can spend a lot of time on negative GADS activities, like looking for them. “Gads, where did I put those pruners?” And while you are looking for whatever tool you need, you’ll encounter numerous other distractions to feed your GADS.
Carry around a little notebook and pencil with you when you are in the garden and write down new “gads, I need to do that” tasks when you think of them and then do them later. No, fellow garden bloggers and family members, I do not do this! This is for really obsessive compulsive people, who, come to think of it, probably don’t have GADS to begin with anyway.
But even if you don’t carry a little notebook into the garden with you, if you have an extreme case of GADS, you might find it useful to make a list of what you want to do before you go out into the garden. Then when you get distracted, and you know you will, you can refer back to the list to remind yourself about what you should have been doing in the first place.
My favorite way to overcome GADS? I don’t try to fight it anymore. I just go with the flow of GADS, and see where it leads me. Try it. It’s kind of fun to see where you end up!
Comments
Like, how did I get distracted from preparing dinner and find myself checking out your blog?
And Dave's tongue-in-cheek comment above, about egads for bloggers, drew me straight to his blog, where, yes, I see he's a list person too. Quite a lengthy garden to-do list in his sidebar indicates he is often stricken with gads while in the garden. ;-)
And I agree with Pam, this should be published somewhere. Unfortunately a lot of magazines don't want already published material, and that's what they would consider this. But I bet GreenPrints would be glad to have it.
Yes, I know...Gads.
Rachel at In Bloom
(http://www.waterlilies.org/inbloom/)
No Cures? Well good. Another excuse to be out in the garden too long.
The notebook idea sounds good for getting certain chores done or maybe more reasons to stay in the garden with a chair, writing things down.
Great post!
~Sarah
Cheers - 'Alice'
Sherry, The lure of my blog is just to great for you, isn't it, baby sister! How did you know I would post early in the evening?
Dave, Yes, we do! Or is that eGADS?
Gardening for Fun, Yes we do need help, or maybe not. Maybe it is just okay to be like this.
Pam/digging, What a nice thing to say. Thank you and I take it you are a list person as well?
Kathy, A little indulgence is good for the garden and the gardener, I agree. And if I thought for one minute a magazine would actually publish this, I'd delete it from this blog and swear you all to secrecy. But maybe I will check out Green Prints...
Ottawa Gardener, Sounds like you had an attack of GADS writing your comment as you trailed off into thoughts of your garden.
Molly, So true, I do a lot of gardening "tomorrow".
Mary, When you add feeding birds and taking pictures of them to your gardening, I'm sure it has some kind of compounding effect on your GADS. But we do love all your bird pictures. My camera is small enough to keep in my pocket...
Rachel, Thank you. GADS does seem to be something we can mostly just be aware of. Why fight it or even cure it?
Curtis, As if a gardener would sit for long in a chair in their own garden. Look over there, a weed, and over there a flower to cut... and on and on.
Sarah, True enough, GADS might just be an endearing trait of all gardeners!
Alice, How true, there are other forms, like CADS for computer work, and HADS for housework.
Crafty Gardener, Right, a list does you no good if you put it down someplace and then forget where it is.
Frances, Thanks, I also liked the EGADS comment. I liked all the comments.
Naturegirl, I think you are right!
Thanks for all the nice comments, and now I see that my houseplants need watering!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Embrace the GADS!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
i was wondering where garden bloggers bloom day came from and am glad i finally found out. what a great idea. i will try to join in next month. i post a plant of the month so i can just post it on the 15th? it is such a neat idea.
Tina, Please do join us for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. The more the merrier, and it is nice to know that nearly every gardener has GADS.
Layanee, Out without your pruners? I bet you regretted that.
Mr. McGregor's Daugher, I had not heard of that one, but it makes sense. And how many children are "garden orphans", waiting for their mother or father to come out of the garden.
Thanks all for the wonderful comments,
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
I didn't get to the bumblersticker yet.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
When outside I'm in a constant state of GADS. It hasn't posed too much of a problem so far, although there have been times when after receiving strange looks from neighbors and passersby, I will look down and say, GADS, I'm still in my pj's! Sometimes I just can't get out there fast enough - stopping to put real clothes on can take up a lot of time.
Cathy
I must admit that I was born with GADS ( my folks claim I had a shovel in one hand and a hoe in the other - okay, maybe a slight exaggeration ) and have been afflicted with it ever since. There's no cure and I'm like you, I'm not seeking one.
Many is the time that I've passed by a house when people were gardening, ended up spending the day helping them with their design. All at no cost to them and all due to GADS.
I can imagine just going to a meeting for GADS, getting up and saying, " Hi, my name is Carolyn and I've got GADS. Fifty per cent of the attendees get up and clap, shake their heads and murmur : We've got GADS too !
Great post!
Fun post Carol!
etc. etc.
:)