If You Don’t Like Your Garden, Change It: My Backyard Project
I finally found the energy to start rebuilding my backyard — and what surprised me most was how much strength, peace, and satisfaction I found in the process.
So a funny thing happened this spring. I decided I wanted to start really gardening again. When my kids were young we had raised bed gardens in our backyard for a number of years. And while the last few years I’ve been doing container gardening, I decided a few months ago that I finally had the mental (and physical) energy to devote time to a larger garden again. Today I’m sharing about how I’m changing my backyard into a garden.
I don’t talk about the last few years much, but we had some really difficult years and my emotional and mental energy was shot.
When life is hard, it’s hard to find the energy for much more than just getting through the day. Weeding and building new raised beds and doing all the work to make a larger garden happen just wasn’t something I felt like tackling. But I’ve had a year and half to rest and recover and this spring is the first time in a long time I just feel energetic.
Something funny happened. Last week I was talking to my mom on the phone about my garden and I told her how I’ve been spending hours outside each day weeding and working. I said, “I must be getting old because all of a sudden I’m enjoying weeding!” (haha)
Truthfully I wake up most days happy and ready to meet the day. I’m rarely in a bad mood. But these last few weeks working in the garden has given me a quiet sense of peace and a deep satisfaction.
If you’ve ever wanted to add a little more contentment to your days — the kind that lingers long after you come back inside — a little garden might be just what you need.
A couple months ago, while the weather was still chilly, I watched the Martha Stewart documentary on Netflix. I was a little disappointed in the documentary, but in it, Martha said something that really stuck with me: “If you don’t like your garden, change it.”
“If you don’t like your garden, change it.”
– Martha Stewart
For a number of years now I’ve felt overwhelmed and discouraged by our backyard in particular. For a number of reasons it just wasn’t what I wanted it to be. And after having lived in our house for more than 22 years, I decided it was time to change it.
As a sidenote, I loved this quote because it could apply to so many other aspects of life. Just replace the word “garden” with any other word:
- “If you don’t like your home, change it.”
- “If you don’t like your routine, change it.”
- “If you don’t like your habits, change them.”
- “If you don’t like your mindset, change it.”
Sometimes we live with things that aren’t working simply because it’s easier to stay stuck than to make a change. But real peace — real satisfaction — often comes when we take a deep breath, roll up our sleeves, and start making small changes in the right direction.
A New Start in the Backyard
For me, I decided I needed to start with my backyard. We are getting ready to fence in the back yard (it currently has an old fenced in pen that we used for our chickens and goats years ago). I want to fence in the entire backyard so my Irish Setter, Marlowe can go outside more often. She’s five years old and well behaved. She will rarely leave the yard. But to be on the safe side, I typically spend an hour or two outside every day watching her because we don’t have a fence and she’s happier when she gets time outside.
I figure with a fence she could go out even when I don’t have time to sit with her if she wants. She’s very much an indoor dog, but she does enjoy getting out of the house during the day.
Our old fence:
So it’s not exactly about creating a picture-perfect space (that would be nice, sure). It’s about making the backyard a place I can enjoy — a place that feels peaceful, welcoming, and neat with pretty flowers and a raised bed vegetable garden.
My ultimate goal is to have a garden that looks like a grandma’s garden. I guess I am a grandmother so that fits, haha. 😉
If you’re feeling unsettled with some part of your life — your home, your backyard (like me), your habits, even your schedule — maybe it’s time to give yourself permission to make a change too.
It doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.
In My Garden
So, for the last few weeks I’ve been spending hours outside each day. Marlowe hangs out with me and we quietly work pulling weeks, mowing, building my raised beds and even hauling dirt and planting plants.
I’ve never been one to really enjoy these harder tasks. I love planting flowers and veggies – weeding not so much. But not only that, I don’t like hauling heavy bags of dirt. I usually rely on my husband for things like lifting bags of dirt and mowing the grass.
This year, though, I have worked to change my mindset. I want to be physically stronger and I know that doing heavy work like lifting bags or digging trenches or shoveling dirt will help me become stronger. So I pick up the bags, I shovel the dirt, and I dig the trenches by myself. And with each lift or shovel I tell myself I’m building stronger muscles and better health.
And I think it’s helped me feel even more peaceful during the day. Gardening isn’t just good for your home — it’s good for your body too.
Spending time outside in the sunshine helps your body make vitamin D, which supports bone health, immune function, and mood regulation.
Digging in the dirt exposes you to natural microbes that can help strengthen your immune system. Some studies have even shown that contact with soil bacteria can boost serotonin levels, which may help improve your overall sense of well-being.
The physical work of gardening — lifting, digging, bending, and pulling — counts as real exercise. It builds strength, improves flexibility, and increases stamina over time. Even lighter tasks like weeding and watering help keep you moving throughout the day instead of sitting still for hours.
For me, doing these harder tasks — the ones I used to avoid — has been a reminder that getting stronger doesn’t always have to happen in a gym.
The best part is that it hasn’t even felt like a chore!
And every time I walk outside and see the progress we’ve made — the beds built, the plants growing, the space becoming more of what I hoped it would be — it reinforces that steady work pays off, both inside and out.
Benefits of Working in the Garden
- Boosts vitamin D levels through daily sun exposure, supporting bone health and immune function.
- Strengthens the immune system by exposing the body to beneficial microbes found in soil.
- Improves mood — contact with soil bacteria like Mycobacterium vaccae may naturally increase serotonin levels.
- Builds muscle strength through lifting, digging, and carrying tasks.
- Increases flexibility and mobility by stretching and moving in natural ways during gardening activities.
- Provides cardiovascular exercise — moderate-intensity gardening can raise your heart rate and improve endurance.
- Reduces stress by encouraging time outdoors and focused, repetitive tasks.
- Improves hand strength and dexterity through fine motor work like planting, weeding, and trimming.
- Supports mental clarity by encouraging mindfulness and presence while working outside.
- Promotes better sleep due to increased physical activity and natural light exposure during the day.
If you’re looking for a simple way to support your health, lift your mood, and create a home you love, it might be as easy as stepping outside with a shovel.
Little by little, one planted seed at a time, you’re building something good — both in your garden and in your life.
Thanks for spending a little time here with me today. I hope you will plant something this spring — whether it’s in a tiny herb pot, a raised bed, or a container garden on your back porch.
If you’re starting a garden, or if you already have a favorite plant that makes you smile, I’d love to hear about it! Share your story in the comments — I always love seeing what you’re growing.
More Gardening Ideas You’ll Love
- Free Printable Garden Planner (44 Pages to Print)
- If You Don’t Like Your Garden, Change It: My Backyard Project
- Spring Gardening for Beginners: Grow What You Love
Grab Your Free Printable!
Looking for a few peaceful plants to start with? Inside, you’ll find my favorite herbs, flowers, and calming plants — perfect for adding a little more beauty and contentment to your days.
How to Download
- If you’re a member of The Homemaker’s Society, you’ll find your link to download your free guide: 10 Peaceful Plants to Grow below.
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