Cutting the grass is hard work, (you could just leave it like this natural meadow)

Gardening is a beautiful pastime, working with plants is one of the most rewarding activities. But, there are sill some jobs that never seem particularly attractive. These are some of the jobs I try to avoid doing, or at least get someone else to do. (It’s about time to invite my Mother to cut my edges)

1. Dealing With Slugs

There is no easy way to deal with slugs. Using pellets leaves a slight feeling of guilt. Any other method is either gruesome or hardwork.

2. Cleaning equipment after use.

When you’ve spent along time clipping a hedge, putting the clippings away, the last thing you wont to do is to clean all the tools you’ve used. But, it is an effective way to extend the length of tools.

3. Cutting the edges and picking up the clippings.

Mowing the lawn isn’t too bad, but, going round all the edges and cutting them is hard work with little reward.

4. Weeding pervasive weeds.

I don’t mind picking up annual weeds; but a persistent perennial weed like horsetail is another matter. No matter how much we pull it up, it seems to come back just as strong. Even spraying it with chemicals leaves it unaffected. It is a job without end.

5. Taking stuff to the tip.

I love composting. It means you dispose off waste material in a convenient way and recycle it for the benefit of your garden. But, some clippings are too big for the compost heap, so we have to take them to the local tip. This means:

• getting your car dirty
• having to drive
• Spend hours picking them up.
• Cutting them up just to get them in the car.

I try to avoid this by only planting trees and hedges that will be manageable. I also have a long term compost heap for bigger branches. Anything to save a journey to the tip.

6. Dealing With Aphids.

We would like to leave the aphids to the ladybirds and hoverflies. But, unfortunately, that can leave a plant open to infection before the natural creatures have eaten the aphids.

7. Gardening in the Wet and cold

Because I used to work as a gardener, I know what it is  like to work 8 hours a day in the middle of winter when it gets dark at 3pm and it’s persistently grey. It’s quite a different job to gardening in the height of summer.

Any gardening jobs that you dislike doing? let us know in the comment sections.

Photo Lady Margarate Hall Gardens, by gardeners tips

8. Digging Out Old Favourites

Even when dead it is often a shame to have to remove an old  plant. We remove conifers that have outgrown there location and it is always a piognant moment.