The Clutter Fairy Weekly Survey #157 Results
Lawn and Garden Season | Downsizing
Lawn and Garden Census
We asked our audience: Which of the following growing things or green spaces are under your care?
Note: Hover over any bar in the graph to see the name of the category and the number of respondents who selected that answer. (Mobile users: Click on the bars for details.)
Click on the Other Responses tab to see what other growing things or green spaces our audience members are managing.
Graph
Other Responses
Your Downsizing Plans
We asked our audience: When do you expect to downsize your living arrangements?
Note: Hover over any pie slice in the chart to see the name of the category and the number of respondents who selected that answer. (Mobile users: Click on the slices for details.)
The Big Purge
We asked our audience: How would you feel about having to give up 50% or more of your current possessions in a downsizing move?
Note: Hover over any bar in the graph to see the name of the category and the number of respondents who selected that answer. (Mobile users: Click on the bars for details.)
Responses to Essay Questions
To view the detailed survey response from any respondent, click on their name in the table below. (You may also find it easier to read long responses in the detailed view.)
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | What lawn or garden chore do you find the most difficult, challenging, tedious, unpleasant, etc., and why? | What’s your favorite thing to grow, and why? | What emotions do you experience when you think about downsizing? | When do you expect to downsize your living arrangements? | Complete this phrase: “Spring is _.” |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eve | Weeding is toughest due to bad knees and shoulders, and also that prime weeding time is also allergy season (2x per year) | Herbs and peppers. I can't kill them despite my not so green thumb | Overwhelm, too many decisions, making the wrong decision for our kids even though they probably font want much of what we have. .....Regret - I always find so many thing s that make no sense. Why do I have these things? How did they get here and why am I still allowing them to clutter up my life. Fear - of losing things that are important and items that trigger memories. I was raised by a grandmother who lived through the depressing while raising a family, so I also have irrational depression ear fear of not having essentials or handy items. | I plan to downsize within the next two years. | Spring is hot and muggy in Houston! |
| JM | Finding help. Get overwhelmed looking for/hiring the right workers. Think I should be able to do it all myself. | Food! I love to eat, share, and make stuff from my own harvest. | Loss of feeling present in the world. | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | a new beginning. |
| Mel | weefing | tomatoes, pretty plant and it provides food | Fear of not having enough space | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | warm air and blossoms |
| Isabelle | Weeding and maintenance, especially if at ground level as usually requires long periods kneeling. | Indoor plants as they warm up any room and make me and others happy. | Panic but with a sense of excitement at the thought of starting from fresh. | We can live in my house until the end of our lives as it is fully accessible. I don't know if we will want to downsize as it will depend on our children moving out. | ... a season of new beginnings, Nature waking up, new growth, renewed energy and enthusiasm. |
| A.G. | A lot of yard work requires leaning over slightly (like raking etc) and it's hard on my back | I love the smell of lilacs and they're relatively low maintenance | Stress, overwhelm, upset, fear of loss | I have considered downsizing but am not sure | A relief |
| Anonymous user | I just do not have a green thumb | Stressed. Overwhelmed. Unpleasant | I’m in the process of downsizing. I have done some. But way more to do. I have other things I want to do and don’t seem to get to do them | Happy. Cheerful. Enjoy the nicer days | |
| Evelina | Not applicable. I live in a small apartment and I don't even have plants at the moment, they don't survive for long under my care...I'd like to get one for spring, currently carefully choosing the type so that it doesn't require much maintenance! | N/A | I did downsize from my previous move to where I live now and things just overflowed in this new space. Not having as much space as before is frustrating. I had to let go furniture I loved such as a sofa that didn't fit in here. So downsizing felt like limiting the comfort. Downsizing also felt like I couldn't keep all my options open in terms of how I may want to use my time and energy (not as many spices for my meals, not as many tops for my outfits, not as many creams for my self-care...) Do I really need all those options? Not really. They are just fun. So downsizing felt like limiting the fun. On the other hand, it also felt like an opportunity to let go of unnecessary items that I and my partner have kept for too long (the old electronics, random paper, knick-knacks...). So downsizing felt like getting rid of useless weight. Currently I am decluttering in preparation for a future move. Whenever I move next I will most likely upsize rather than downsize, yet I don't want to carry with me things that have no value or are redundant, so I am sort of tackling this decluttering effort as a downsizing effort. I'd rather go to a new place with a room that remains completely empty for a while rather than filling it right away with boxes of stuff that has long lost its value to me. But departing from stuff is easier said than done! | I expect to move again in the future, but without downsizing, if possible. | A new beginning. |
| Deb | Generally keeping a large yard pruned and disposing of the cut branches and lawn clippings. I always end up with large piles of branches and lawn clippings in various spots in the yard, waiting for them to dry and burn off in winter. It never ends. | Favourite thing right now is English lavender bushes. I've harvested the lavender this week and there's nothing like the smell of English lavender in the house. It reminds me of Grandma's lavender bags in her clothes drawers 50 years ago. Happy memories. | I'll be quite happy to downsize in ten years or so. Reducing things early is a priority for me and is already slowly underway. | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | six months away. (Australia) |
| Callie | Watering bc I have to haul water to one of the wooded beds if we plant anything new in it (can’t survive get on its own) and to the window box on the garden shed that looks like a miniature of my house (sooo cute!!!). The hose won’t stretch that far bc those beds are far back past our pet cemetery (another raised woodlands type garden that the sprinkler system reaches very well on three sides. It’s hot and humid in Alabama, and I’m getting pretty old. I carry the water in gallon jugs. Additional issue: He “forgets” to water everything, especially those beds mentioned above, when it’s my turn to go stay out of town to care for my charming elderly mother. | Flowers and blooming herbs bc they are so uplifting to look at. | Actually, I feel optimistic about it, but I still end up buying more container plants to again take up all that deck space. Then I feel overwhelmed as they grow bigger very fast and I have to step around them to water, risking a fall. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | “Spring is sinus infection season.” “Spring is 90+ degrees in Alabama—just like fall.” 😉 |
| Hila | Vegetable and tea vegetable. It's yummy | Good. More control. | I plan to downsize within the next two years. | Wonderful. Go to travel instead declutter | |
| Diana | Vegetables Saves us some money on weekly groceries. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | Not here soon enough | ||
| Roberta | Pruning trees and shrubs. It takes a lot of time and energy. My pyracantha bush has thorns. | Plants that attract birds. I love to watch and attract birds. . | A mixture of emotions; overwhelm at the thought of the project, dealing with each item, but also the peace having fewer things would bring. Also the feeling of concern whether I would feel trapped in a smaller space. | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | a beautiful time of year. |
| Anonymous user | Removing invasive plants from our wildflower garden. Need to get on it earlier than in the past because the invasive we are after hides under and among the perennial wildflower plants; also, chiggers come out by August, mosquitoes in June. Need motivation. Feel overwhelmed. Feel bad if I'm working indoors and neglecting the outdoors; but also feel bad if I'm working outdoors and neglecting the indoors. | Green beans! (Kentucky Wonder pole beans.) Can't harvest until late in the season, but they are such a reliable crop, and very tasty. | Sadness at the thought of giving up gardening (or most of it, anyway). Fear of loss of privacy. Reluctance to give up food prep - not that I enjoy cooking, but food allergies and intolerances and preferences make it unlikely that I would find enjoyable and nutritious foods if I transitioned to a place that offered meals. Some relief if there was less to take care of. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | beautiful! |
| Evelin | keeping plants alive and cleaning outdoor furniture | Since I can´t keep any plant alive I switched to fake plants (indoor and on my balcony) 🙂 | I´m thinking about it due to the rising prices but it´s not easy to find a suitable place and I´m worried that I underestimate the amount that I would have to get rid off to fit everything comfortably into a smaller home. | I´m observing the market to see if there is a good option for downsizing | for spring cleaning and (even more) decluttering ! |
| Brigitte | Orchids in all forms and shapes💞 Pink and white are my favorites❣️ They wear their flower dress for months and re-flourish for years and years🙏 | We had three gardens during time. First one in Bremen (northern Germany) was an allotment where we did a lot with permaculture based on the ideas of Bill Mollison, the second one was around a wooden chalet where we had the most wonderful time ever and the third one was behind the house we rented, where we lived and I worked. We had a Flower of Life in the terrace stones, a sprinkling water and many of the Bach flower remedy plants. Extremely joyful in the spring, summer and autumn. But after 2008 times became hard and we were not able to pay the enormous rent anymore, plus my back pain made it impossible to garden furthermore… When we downsized I missed our little paradise and (most of all in the summer) and yes - I still miss it! Thank God we have kept the photo’s so when we miss the garden too much, we watch the photos and take a walk or visit friends 😉🍀 | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | the most wonderful time of the year for me! I LOVE the smell of fresh green, the singing birds early in the morning, the crocuses, the tulips 💐 the optimism of the promise - knowing all year is yet to come, Kings (birth)Day (27th of April), Liberation Day (5th of May) and the Happiness when the Sun 🌞 is shining 😍 | |
| Marsh | Challenging is protecting my organic yard for the Community owners site me for too many trees and Too Wild looking yard...WHAT? Anyway they cut down most of my beautiful Pine, Maple, Spruce trees that gave me shade in the heat of summer along with giving all the wildlife a place to rest or hide. | Ahh... all of my flowers and fruit trees are my favorites! Its such a joy to just sit outside and witness them bud, flower and then bloom each season/year. | I always wanted to create and then maintain a large Victory Garden as I had grown up with these huge gardens. My family then shared with the community our abundance (similar to the Farmers Markets so popular today). Yearly gatherings to hay and harvest with shared canning events kept a pure sense of belonging, Community and the markers of the changing seasons. Fear, sadness and some frustration are some of the emotions now for myself to downsize under todays economics and aging in place...I will have to go smaller. | I am seeking to downsize by this coming Fall of 2023. | "Spring is in the air... Flowers are blooming Bees are zooming ... So beware...:) |
| Jean | Not much room to maneuver on balcony | Seeds…I’m always surprised! And nasturtiums. They are all volunteers. | I’m content with smaller spaces, but do miss basements. | I expect to move again in the future, but without downsizing, if possible. | Fun! But makes me sneeze. More daylight! |
| Sandra | All of it as I’m disabled I now have to pay people to do it all for me when I used to do it all myself | Fruit and veg and herbs as they give you crops to eat but I also like the houseplants on my bedroom windowsill as I can see them from my bed every day | I’ll have to downsize eventually when I can either no longer afford to pay the rent on my current home or when I’m no longer capable of living here that will be difficult as I’ll have to get rid of furniture to do so but my de cluttering of the past few years and ongoing de cluttering is to get my home into a state of only having the things that I need and use so that downsizing will be a bit easier when the time comes | As previously stated I will have to downsize at some point due to my disability/finances but I don’t know when that will be | Sprung |
| Amelia | Weeding - it is hard to get all the roots out. | Moved from NY to FL about 1 year ago and still getting used to the difference in vegetation. Having really good luck with growing roses here. Also, the hibiscus is lovely as it is in constant bloom for most of the year and visible from the front windows - warms my heart every time I walk by and look outside. | Ugh!!! The thoughts of downsizing do not bring me joy. However, I am constantly decluttering to be ready should the day come when I need to move to a smaller space. | Perhaps 10 to 12 years, but really would like to stay put. | the season for deep cleaning and renewal. |
| Doreen | love them all - want to free up inside time to get outside! | flowers - beautiful and easy | Happy emotions - wow get to take all the favorites! Overwelm - wow I have a lot of stuff! I need to start now as I have NO PLAN to go anywhere at age 60! Finally as empty nester have time ever to go through house one drawer at a time. First time ever actally saying I feel in control. Thank you! | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | Amazing and fleeting. What a joy to enjoy one flower at a time, each parading by in its own time. |
| Em | My flower border is most challenging to care for. With the landlord's blessing, I put several thousand dollars worth of perennial flowers from out family homestead along the edge of the apartment building. Then, a smoker, who also uses a lot of insecticide and keeps the windows open year-round, moved into the apartment beside the border. The fumes from that apartment make me very, very sick, so I cannot give the border the attention it needs. The same neighbor also does not like flowers. I worry that I will be forced to throw away my plants. Were that not the case, my container garden would be the most difficult because the hose isn't long enough to reach it, so water has the be hauled a bucket at a time unless I get out two additional (heavy) hoses, hook them up, water the pots, then unhook the hoses, coil them up, carry them to the garage, and put them away. Apartment life! | My favorite thing to grow are the flowers and perennials that have been handed down in our family. The majority of them are crosses--one of a kind, not available on the market. They link me to all the special people and pleasant summers involved in collecting and propagating them over the decades--like a living scrapbook. | I want my life to go forward, not end. Downsizing to me means giving up on projects, plans, and dreams. I have things I kept because of the house they were supposed to go into, the lifestyle I was going to get to have, the art studio, room for a piano, a kitchen garden and flower bed, space for a dog, the attic retreat with a rocking chair and favorite books, the sewing nook with a big chair to curl up in and do handwork or mending.... However, I never got to have my own home while my husband was alive because of the location of his job. Now, I still want my home, but I fear that I am too old and too weak to manage a home alone. So, downsizing is admitting defeat. It says, "Okay, I give up. I will never have the life I spent my life working and saving toward. I have failed. I'm old. I'm alone." (no family) The worst part is that what I was saving toward was meant for the two of us. I had accepted that I would not get to have my home until he retired, but he died instead of retiring and living our our golden years together in the home I worked so hard to plan and save for. | I don't want to downsize, but am faced with the reality that moving into a place that suits my desired lifestyle may be impossible at this point in my life. | Spring is hope. |
| Michelle | Repotting | Hydrangeas- gorgeous bush | I love our gated patio where most of our large pots and flowers are grown. I would miss a private outdoor oasis | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | Sunshine time outside with flowers growing |
| Anonymous user | Hedging | Flowering plants to attract butterflys | Apprehension | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | Beautiful |
| Mar | I enjoy working outside, but I'm allergic to bug bites. So I garden indoors with about 75 indoor plants which I enjoy caring for and propagating. | echeverias, and so many other plants....snake plants, crown of thorns, etc., etc., etc. I love seeing them grow new leaves, flowers, etc. | Elation....less to clean and care for. I'm ready for a home of 1000 to 1200 sq. ft. or less. I have 1800 now and even though I used to have 2700 sq ft five years, I wish that this current residence was smaller. | I downsized five years ago, but I wish we could have found a smaller house at the time. | time for rebirth. |
| Fin | Weeding. Have 2 to 3 flower beds i inherited. One area fills with a legit flower/plant ground cover(chameleon) but it is invasive and needs to stay under control and in that area. I found it creeping into other areas and need to stay on top of it. This year I'd like to remove that plant entirely. Not sure how. Maybe cover with a tarp | No favorites yet. I inherited this garden. Not sure what half the flowers are | I'd rather not have a garden! Or have a teeny garden | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | Getting longer in NY like March to June |
| Joyce | I live in a condo, so the main lawn care issues I have are knowing when to be out of the house when the landscaping company does their thorough, but very noisy job. Re houseplants, it's having a consistent watering routine. | My mom's Christmas cactus that a dear friend resurrected from near death, & trying to grow basil as a houseplant for longer than a week. | The anticipation of the energy needed; getting back into a "chuck-it" mindset; letting go of family items, even once I've scanned them - which I think is why I'm currently stuck: the amount of time to scan family documents I've sorted, combined with actually letting the physical version go. Anticipation of decision-making fatigue in addition to the actual decision-making fatigue I always get. I WANT to re-purpose my 2nd bedroom so it's functional (guest-room/sewing room), not just storage. I know the strategies I need to take, including Just. Getting. Started. When I HAD to declutter while we were cleaning out my parents' townhouse, I was able to let go of an amazing amount of stuff; however, it was replaced with family stuff, i.e., family memories, so emotional clutter. I also work better with some kind of deadline, and having adjusted to retirement has led to decluttering inertia, because there's no longer a deadline. | I don't know when I can finally move to a smaller place; I'd like to say 5 years, so I want to do the downsizing NOW, so I can enjoy & improve where I live NOW. | a time I have more energy, and if the weather's cooperative - sunny & warm-ish, I'm more likely to declutter, because I can move the stuff OUT the same day I'm working on it. |
| Intignia | Cherry tomatoes, because they just keep growing and growing and you can train them to grow up and over things. | Downsizing has been a never-ending story for me for the last 16 years. We've had to move to a smaller place eight times because of the constant raising of the rent. We've gone from a five-bedroom home to a one-bedroom apartment. Why, why, why do people have to continually raise the rent? | I've already down-sized many times and am still down-sizing so that we can live more comfortably in our current apartment. | Spring is right around the corner. Wahoo! | |
| Mary | Working in the garden in the summer heat and high humidity. That's why I have to work out there in the early mornings while it's still comfortable enough to do so. | Flowers for the pollinators and veggies for my food. Lettuce, kale, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, watermelon, beets, carrots, strawberries, zucchini, broccoli, etc. | I did a major downsizing when I moved here 2+ years ago. Some things were difficult to get rid of and with other things, I'm glad they're gone. | Even though I downsized when I moved here, I'm trying to keep a handle on the amount of things that I buy and keep now. | A time to enjoy the outside weather and start to work in my garden. |
| Anja | Weeding flower beds and watering balcony potted plants because I am physically impaired. | Shrubs and flowers that need very little care because I lack energy to work in the garden more than 10 minutes at a time. | On the one hand I am enthusiastic about having less maintenance chores but on the other hand worried and anxious because I love our home and space and I am not sure if I can do everything that nurtures me after downsizing and letting furniture go... | Depending on how my health will improve or worsen I might need to downsize in 3 to 4 years time (hopefully not earlier) or I might not have to downsize for one or two more decades. | my favourite time of year, woohooo |
| judy | I love them all. But probably the hardest is trimming shrubs | Peonies - I love the smell and beauty of them. They came from my grandmother's house and I have moved them twice and divided to give to all my nieces for their homes. I cherish the short season they have and special place in my heart. | We have lived in our home for 38 yrs. on our farm, which we built to have room to raise our two children. We now have our children, spouses and 6 grandchildren living across the country. Soooo many memories attached to our home. We would like to be able to travel more and not have yard upkeep etc. I feel like I have been preparing to do this for 5 years or so but the emotions of leaving gardens, trees, spaces which we have taken years to make just how we want are flooding me with emotions of times in the past. | I plan to downsize within the next two years. | right around the corner and I have been watching daffodils and crocuses poke their heads up through the ground with a very warm winter. |
| Jessi | Watering the furthest to reach pots is the most difficult for me because it requires that I move my body in ways that are painful, especially first thing in the morning lol My watering can doesn't reach back all the way to the back, so I have a repurposed plastic soap refill container that I poked holes into the lid of and use to water the back ones, and I have to squat and squeeze the container and refill it two to three times per watering. | I think it's a tie between romaine lettuce and collard greens because they both taste so good! I also love how leafy the collard greens are. I feel the same way about the chard I grow, too-- the beautiful contrast of dark green leaves against the vibrant red stalks is so lovely. | Anxiety and resentment. | I expect to move again in the future, but without downsizing, if possible. | Spring is renewal, hope, life. |
| Connie | Taking in, putting up umbrella and chair cushions (boring) Cleaning surfaces when we've had sahara sand or lots of pollen, or lots of tree dander | sage, chives, oregano, thyme, rosemary because they basically take care of themselves. | unsurmountable weeding things out esp w husband's attitude | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | warmth, regrowth |
| Kathy | Reuse dirt so don't care for weeds sprouting with soil reuse. Minnesota weather all pots and baskets are planted and now moving 20 baskets 25 pots and 12 deck boxes to basement so they won't freeze plus covering the flower mini garden area. Sometime purchasing enough color coordinating pieces also hate when one item over crowds another. Minnesota wind that can topple boxes snd plants. | Petunias, ivys , crocus, pansies, geraniums moss roses, mums & diaciantus I over purchase and try different pieces with regular favorites.... | Losing part of myself.... Items that are part of an identity which is mine lost and forgotten. | Aging reality, strength diminishing to maintain what to a lifetime to attain. | A fresh breeze, hearing water flow in a brook, cattle returning with calves to pasture, green vivid colors of grreen,, sky color changes ability to sit outside and enjoy, watching business of returning birds feeding and listening to their musical tunes. Busy maintaining all the lawn, garden, flowers to be planted .... a deep breath and plan. |
| Barbara | Weeding | Flowers, I love their colors | Sadness. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | My favorite season |
| Anonymous user | Weeding. Does my back in. | Tomatoes. I don’t know why! | Relief | I plan to downsize within the next six months. | …in the air! |
| Bonnie | I don't do any | I used to love my rose garden omatoes because none taste better than fresh picked. | I am relieved not to hae to pay or worry about garden care | I have already downsized and don’t expect to do so again. | ...just like every other season |
| Ginger | Repotting plants. I always feel like it will take longer than it does so I put it off. Bringing plants in during a freeze. Such a pain in our unpredictable TX weather. | Ivies - are so hardy, easy to grow and fill a pot nice and full. I like geraniums too. Easy to grow. Nice flowering blooms. | PANIIC. We don’t plan to move. We love it here. But, in our mid-late 60s, I realize there may come a day when we may want or need to move. I’ve been working on decluttering our things inside the house and making good headway. I panic at the thought of dealing with my husband’s tools. Automotive and Woodworking. There are at least 24 pieces of equipment on their own stands. Table saw, planer, lathe, etc. And routers, saws, drills,, etc. He loves tools. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | the season of RENEWAL. Love it when the trees and flowers start budding out and the grass perks up. Our hens start laying more eggs. |
| Janice | Leveling the ground and placing raised garden frames and leveling them. The ants bite me. | Vegetables, to consume. Especially corn and green beens. | When thinking of gardening, panic would be felt if I downsized. I could downsize other facets of my life much easier. | I plan to downsize within the next two years. | Joyous. |
| Lee | It used to be wild blackberries and fox tail weeds. Since I hired a professional gardener, this problem is 100% solved, which I find hard to believe. | Perennial flowers, especially rudbeckia Roses Morning glories Snapdragons Portulaca | I have gotten rid of so much. There is very littie left that I consider “just stuff”. I am sentimentally attached to most of what is left. I am in the process of losing weight, having lost close to 15 pounds so far. I have 50 more to lose. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | Beautiful flowers Warmer breezes and more time outside Summer vacation time. The start of local fruits and vegetables. |
| Christine | digging in mud, when the mud got into my boots. what a mess | white Casa Blanca lilies. their scent is heavenly | exhaustion. panic, if I have to downsize very fast. and sell the house fast. with your help, I have given away a lot of possessions. but the amount of horrible paperwork...old taxes, medical files, legal papers, etc is what I will not have room for. it would not be worth my time to scan and put it on computer files. | I plan to downsize within the next two years. | renewal, fresh start, back to nature, hope |
| Lisa Beth | Weeding the garden along the ditch. It's worth it. But really works the abs and every other muscle gardening on a angle. | Roses, they remind me of my Grandpa's rose garden and time with him. Illinois Prairie Plant garden, it reminds me of gardening with my Dad and him with my children for 4-H state winning projects and granddaughter. | I have downsized all the porch plants to just a few select ones in special pots inherited from my family. Bringing things in and out for winter and spring is only a few pots that I can do alone. Other than that, I've done more cutting down on time spent maintaining than downsizing. I've transplanted to group the perennials ( which my granddaughter calls come- up- again- ials.) and put them into areas and made them easier to water. Downsizing made more time for care for attending, learning about and better meeting the needs for my variety of plants. I'm a gardener surrounded by others who enjoy gardening. At first it made me sad to think of cutting back but I was loosing plants due to weather, pets and I couldn't always get to them all at the right time. Some of the time that I felt stressed to do it all became time for flexible free time and caregiving for loved ones. | we are taking steps to age in place. | my favorite season. Thanks to Gayle and Ed through the years, I have decluttered room by room and area by area on a routine so that when spring comes my time inside is minimal and I can enjoy my perennial gardening with regular resets. I'm currently maintaining the life I love and taking steps to be able to enjoy what I have with one in and one out and enjoying space as the 3 boys transition out. |
| Darby | Mulching is very tedious. | Flowers; I love color in the yard. I'm trying to grow a butterfly garden, but I just started this fall: I'm hoping they survived the brutal cold this past December. | Happiness, but it's still many years away as my youngest is still in Elementary school. I'd like to have less area to keep clean. | I expect to move again in the future, but without downsizing, if possible. | Beautiful, joyful, colorful, but fickle. |
| Laura | Downsized over the last decade. First a divorce Several moves Last summer my mom passed and I was living with her. I cleared out her many years of clutter in her almost 3K SF home Now, living in my own small one bedroom apartment - alone Each move brought sadness and lots of physical work. Each move signified another chapter of life ending/beginning. Range of emotions - dread, fear, loss and sadness and excitement | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | Warm weather, longer days and new beginnings! | ||
| Becky | The most difficult job I have is climbing on and off the lawnmower. Riding lawnmowers are wonderful, especially when you have an acre to mow. But, when you have had both onees replaced, climbing on and off, turning around and sitting can be difficult at best of times. Our yard also has a lot of oak trees whoch drops large limbs during storms. Walking them around to burn can take its toll too. While the spirit is willing, the body is weak at times. | I dont really have a favorite thing to grow—i have a brown thumb truthfully. | Letting go of things—it takes time and can be done. Most of the time it is not about the item, it is about the emotions, memories, and dreams related to the item. An example would be is that I held on to every single children’s book I purchased. As I prepare to send them forward, I can’t help but think about the times I read to my children in bed—and their favorite books. While I may not be able to let some of the favorite authors go, I can others. Or maybe it was the tub of hot wheels or legos we collected over a 10-year period. The tub remains in my closet, i do feel like the grandkids will play with them someday—but my daughters-in-law do not want the toys that their spouses played with—or other collectibles as well. It meant something to me to keep an item, but it doesn’t mean the same to them. | I plan to downsize within the next two years. | Coming! Time to move forward! |
| Jo | Moving potted plants in an out until the weather warms enough for them to spend nights outside or in the fall until it’s too cold for them to be outside in the daytime. It’s a lot of work hauling them in and out every day. I’d love to have an enclosed porch or a greenhouse so I wouldn’t have to move them every day. | We have planted so many wonderful plants in our garden and yard, herbs, vegetables, flowers but the one I favor over all are the milk weed plants. They are quite easy to grow, the flowers have a sweet aroma that permeates the house ( they are planted right next to the back door) but best of all we get to watch the monarch butterflies. Each year we count the caterpillars as they munch away on the leaves of the milk weed plants and watch to see how many develop into butterflies. It gets quite emotional in late August/early September when the last ones emerge from their cocoons and start their long journey south. We always wish them a safe journey. | I would not miss many of the items we own but there are others that would make me very sad to let go. Those are the items that evoke wonderful memories of people, places and events. A picture of the item just would not evoke the same feelings as holding the item in my hand. I’ve tried that, I can honestly say, it’s not the same. So sadness would be a big emotion. | I expect to move again in the future, but without downsizing, if possible. | Spring is a fresh start, wide open to new possibilities. |
| Kara | Weeding - seems to get out if control quickly and then overwhelming | Flowers - love to see them | Sadness, self-pity | I have already downsized and don’t expect to do so again. | Inspirational and hopeful |
| Kim | Removing leaves from flower beds in late spring | Kale, now that i have a dense netting that keeps out the bugs, but lets water and sunshine through. | Relief, then concern, because no way will my husband get rid of any of his things... | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | Green |
| Anonymous user | Picking up and carrying fallen branches to burn pile. | Succulents. I kill most other plants. | I have no plans to downsize. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | A time for rebirth! |
| Alexis | I do not love picking up sticks and branches but l love all things outdoors so this is really ok with me. | Trees, trees, trees. Majestic, long lived, positive environmental impact and downright beautiful. I feel optimistic just thinking about trees. | Overall, l feel positive about existing within a significantly smaller footprint. I live in a small home by American standards of less than 1000 square feet. It has an open plan layout, is built at grade, is fully accessible, has significant expanse of glass, is easy to care for and situated within a natural landscape. So this is my current downsized home. I am also really interested in dense urban settings with very small apartments of about 500 square feet as well as shared housing or shared services communities which move away from an emphasis on private ownership for the fulfillment of human needs such as shared kitchens, laundries, transportation and gardens. I think if we are open to a variety of future living options in relation to our needs as we mature, as a culture we may become less preoccupied with the default demand to age in place no matter what. I really love my current downsized lifestyle, but as l continue to age, attempting to “hang on” to my current life may work against my and others best interest. No one ages in a void. So l will continue to think and plan for a next chapter. I have been greatly helped by following your deeply thoughtful advice on living my best life with less but, when your book is published, l will find a place of honor for it on my now tiny bookshelf. I bet it will be filled with more of your sage advice. Thank you Clutter Fairy Team. Sincerely, Alexis | I cannot make a prediction, but l would estimate sometime within the next 7 to 10 years.This will depend on my capacities. | Optimistically joyous. |
| Sandra | I absolutely hate weeding! | I like to grow ivy and African violets, because they seem to thrive with my style of caring for plants- “benign neglect”. | Fear, because I’m afraid I might give away something that I will miss/need later. Excitement, because I know I’m making our home more the way we want it. Relief, because there’s so much less to clean, dust, store, move, keep track of,.... Pride, because it’s actually getting done! | Other | the time for spring cleaning, and I’ve already started. |
| Joy | Cleaning up after my mesquite trees year-round. They are always dropping some sort of debris which will end up in my pool if I don't clean up after them pretty quickly, which translates to cleaning the pool, which is challenging and time sensitive. | Fruit trees are my favorite things to grow. I have 6 of them. They are young and don't produce much fruit yet, but I am hopeful! | I enjoy downsizing and am pretty good at it. I downsized when I moved about 3 years ago to a smaller home with a much larger yard, which is great because I would rather be outside putzing around than indoors. | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | my third favorite season--second favorite is fall, and favorite is summer (even though it gets pretty hot here in Phx). Winter is my least favorite season. I freeze most of the time. Yikes! |
| Susan Marie | Initial prep of containers/planters - it’s dirty, tiring, and I’m not as strong or as motivated as I used to be! | Flowering plants such as geraniums and mandivilla because they flower continuously and look great all summer | Sad, overwhelmed, frustrated that I haven’t gotten rid of more stuff all along | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | A time for renewal for the world and myself - it symbolizes a new beginning, and possibilities. |
| Karen | Keeping the flowerbeds free from weeds | Sunflowers because they are beautiful | Downsizing now is making me happy | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | The beginning of all thing’s beautiful. |
| Pamela | Weeding! It never ends! | Flowers. They add so much to the yard. | Joy! Having a smaller yard area to maintain would be a blessing. Just because there is less area doesn’t mean it can’t be attractive and well maintained. | I plan to downsize within the next two years. | Spring is sprung, the grass is rizzzz. Time to give this junk the bizzz. |
| Anonymous user | Pruning thorny shrubs. My skin is thin so I keep tearing it and bleeding. | Right now, the yard is neglected but I would like to put in some flowering shrubs and perennials. Also, I was thinking of growing some vegetables and herbs. | It depends on where I was going. Although the yard is big enough for a nice garden, most of the backyard is covered by the pool and pool deck. We do have a planter in the front yard and a lawn. | I am not sure of my future plans because it would depend on my financial situation. | the time to enjoy desert wildflowers. |
| Lela | Keeping Bermuda grass from smothering things in the garden. Why? Because it’s an impossible task to accomplish in Arkansas without chemical warfare. | Melons and strawberries, because they are delicious and healthy for me. | Excitement and anticipation. I’m ready for a new chapter in my life that is simpler and lower maintenance. | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | A beautiful time of rebirth and growth that brings me closer to God through His amazing creation. |
| Marina | Weeding, mowing the lawn, weed whacking edges, watering the fruit/veg garden. It’s very time consuming and I would rather be doing other things. The watering the fruit/veg garden by hand isn’t difficult but we live in a wetlands area and the mosquitoes will bite you 20+ times for standing out there watering for 30 minutes. Not fun. We have plans to replace the lawn (in sections) with Dutch white clover so we only have to mow it once every month or two. We put in an auto drip water system last year that you can control with an app. I gave up weeding the garden and plant heavy amounts of basil, cilantro, oregano, marigold, and sage beneath the tomatoes/peppers/other plants. | Berry bushes. In 2020 I had bought many varieties of Honeyberry bushes, blueberry bushes, and Meader cherry bushes. They started fruiting last year and they taste so sweet and good! Excited to see when I can start making jam or jelly. Last year I got 2-6 berries per plant but the tastiest berries I ever had. I also planted aronia berries which were so bitter by themselves but are very useful in indigenous cooking recipes. I also planted pink currants which I hope will fruit in the next few years. | It’s hard to let go of things you really love and like when you go from a big place to a smaller place. I think if we ever downsized I still wouldn’t let go of my earrings collection. | We might move in the next 5-10 years. We might have to downsize but we are in a 2 bedroom house so it’s not huge but not tiny. | The start of the gardening season. Start growing seedlings inside and transplant outside to the garden beds in May! |
| Joanna | Picking green beans. You have to crouch into a horrible position, it seems endless and I don’t even like to eat them. | Sunflowers. I love watching them shift and “look” the same direction. I love all the flowers. Also, love growing pumpkins. They just expand and seem to grow before your eyes. | In a way sort of mixed. We have a small farm. One year my husband had a series of operations and I had to carry the weight of all for months at a time. It was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced. Even just plugging along in survival mode took about everything I had. Anyway, I’m sure we can’t keep on forever at this so perhaps we would feel a bit of relief without all this physical work. On the hand it will be break my heart because I truly love it. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | Frizzy hair |
| Nancy | Weeding. It's endless and annoying. | Flowers because of their color and beauty. I also enjoy variegated indoor plants. | Sadness, loss, grieving, feeling limited. | I want to age in place but with a lot less stuff. | a time of renewal and rebirth. |
| Tami | Mowing, my brother does it! | Lilac and forsythia ~ beauty | I’m not downsizing my space but I’ve downsized my stuff and I just have relief and joy | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | Just around the corner |
| Bri | I kill every plant I try to grow, indoors or outdoors. The one plant in I have in my home is dying as I type this. The good news is, I am great at keeping 1 grandchild, 2 adult children, 1 husband, 2 elderly parents. 4 dogs and 35 chickens healthy and happy! | Eggs. I like caring for my chickens! | I am 60 years old and my 5 bedroom empty nest has refilled to the brim. The word "downsizing" sounds like angels singing to me! I am warning my adult children who have moved back home that I am planning to sell my home in Colorado and move to a one-bedroom condo at the beach. | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | Spring is really cold in the mountains of Colorado. |
| Linda | Sugar snap peas. They are easy to grow and good to eat. | Excitement. I am looking forward to downsizing. There will be less to clean and maintain. Also want a one level house as it is easier to get around to clean and complete tasks. | I plan to downsize within the next two years. | Spring is sunshine and flowers. | |
| Paula | N/A - but ALL of it. Not a plant person and thrilled that I combined both segments of this show by downsizing myself out of yardwork. | Nothing. Black thumb here. Does raiding my sib's garden count? | Downsized substantially last year. Went from about 3,600 square feet to just over 800. The process took several years of preparation and involved mourning my husband. I wanted to be in a smaller, less complicated home (with no yardwork) so I looked forward to the next phase of my life. Is joyful anticipation an emotion? That's what I primarily felt. | Already downsized and am happy with the size of my current space but am renting and expect to move again, possibly to a new city. May or may not downsize further., | . . . when tulips appear. Glorious! |
| Sue | all of it -- it's Texas | roses. stuck them in the ground, said a prayer over them, and they either survived, or not; that was 40 years ago. | sad; there is not likely to be anything smaller than the current place, except perhaps a bed in a nursing home, or a coffin. | I plan to downsize within the next six months. | an allergy sufferer's nightmare |
| ros | difficulties in weighing the need for an object vs the space it takes up. | I have already downsized and don’t expect to do so again. | cat fur everywhere | ||
| Kara | Weeding - seems to get out if control quickly and then overwhelming | Flowers - love to see them | Sadness, self-pity | I have already downsized and don’t expect to do so again. | Inspirational and hopeful |
| Lynn | Cleaning up and preparing gardens for Spring planting. | Roses and tomatoes. Roses because they are beautiful and easy care, tomatoes because if you've ever tasted a warm vine ripened tomato, the work is worth it to not have to buy grocery store flavorless ones. | I view it as an opportunity to thin out my belongings to those worth packing and moving. Have moved many times in my adult life so the prospect of doing so is not a burden. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | Not coming soon enough. I hope I have enough of my energy recovered to make the most of it. |
| Isabelle | Pruining the too many fruit trees the pre-owners planted on our small plott. A work that needs to be done when it is F**** cold outside ;-)))) | Garlic (very little work for a full year's supply) and green beans: Easy to grow (if the birds don't play with the beans in the ground ..... looks nice while growing, little work during the growing season and regular large, quick harvest | Generally - excitement and relief, because I know that it does good for me (probably wrong English ....) When dealing with it concretely - overwhelm because of the mountain ahead (where to start? how to manage?) and anxiety about parting with certain things (emotional attachment, guilt, feeling of "end of life" having to say good-bye to certain "future possibilities" and hobbies in the past ..... | Currently still in the phase to downsize to fit 100% into our smallish house; soon to be, enlarging the house to improve living quality not necessarily storage space. | desperately awaited this year ..... winter was too long and grey. |
| Charity | Our town home garden/patio is small and manageable now. It is very shady so hard to keep grass growing in our small plot. | I like to grow chives, mint, and parsley in pots. Definitely container gardening as I hate weeding. | I feel a mixture of joy and sadness. Happy there will be less to manage. Sad as my fantasy self imagines I can throw wonderful garden tea parties with a florist of things. | I plan to downsize within the next six months. | Spring is longer days of light, more energy to take walks in the sun and photograph all the new flowers. |
| Anonymous user | Lawn - and I hire someone to do that! | Peonies and Iris - if I HAVE to choose! Love them all! | Relief - had a much larger home / yard before and specifically chose smaller home/yard to eventually retire in. | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | A new beginning! |
| Ellen in W Michigan | I gave up all my plants die. | Basil. I love the flavor of fresh basil, all kinds. | I worry that the functioning space I finally have will be disrupted by having to change how I do things or that I will see things that would make it function better, but won't be able to find them affordably. I'm really not terribly worried about having too much, though I can't be sure that won't happen. I am also somewhat excited about the opportunity to start fresh. | I plan to downsize within the next two years. | Messy. And too long in coming. |
| Amanda | Watering new shrubs and trees in front yard - the spigot in the garage leaks and in previous years there's been too much junk in the way, it all gets sprayed, I get stressed out. I got rid of a lot of it this past fall, so I can relocate what's left and make this chore a lot easier. | Tomatoes, because they grow so well in NJ! I'm also excited about my new rose of Sharon plants and my peonies are effortlessly gorgeous. | Panic - if it's taking me this long to dig through the basement, how am I supposed to do it against a deadline! (But in reality, a deadline would probably help.) | I expect to live in my current home until the end of my life. | a fresh, new, happy start. |
| Sarah | Morning glories. | Worry about how to live in an even smaller space with young, energetic children. | I expect to move again in the future, but without downsizing, if possible. | At time to open windows and freshen spaces | |
| Anonymous user | Weeding (we need to dig them out with full sized shovels ) | Our shelter belt, because it's satisfying to see all our work, trenching irrigation lines, getting a well doing all the weeding etc...come to fruition | I would really miss our space. It's hard because we both work full time at regular jobs in a city, but I would never want to go back to living in a city again. | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | Far away! |
| Noreen | Weeding - Physically hard but I bought a stool which should be helpful going forward. | Annual flowers that become perennials - Dianthus and vincas | Anxious about selecting what to keep | I plan to downsize within the next 10 years. | chance to begin again |
| Diana | Weeding my raised beds. The people who built them for us didn't use the right material on the bottom and we built them over a lawn. Now we have continuous crab grass coming through. | Flower bulbs. So little work and so much beauty and joy. | The "what if" syndrome. I have a huge amount of craft supplies, mostly fabric now, and I haven't done any crafting for over a year. I keep thinking but I will do it again and won't I be sad if I got rid of my supplies. On the other hand, I'm doing really well with going through old bins of papers and photos. Even memorabilia. | I expect to stay where I am and I'm thinking about what I will leave for others when I die | going to spring soon! It's my favorite time of the year. Cool temperatures and longer daylight. |
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | What lawn or garden chore do you find the most difficult, challenging, tedious, unpleasant, etc., and why? | What’s your favorite thing to grow, and why? | What emotions do you experience when you think about downsizing? | When do you expect to downsize your living arrangements? | Complete this phrase: “Spring is _.” |
So many deep emotions being shared by everyone; l feel moved by all that has been shared. Thank you.