I think a lot of it has to do with moisture levels and soil temperatures. In my last garden there was a period every spring and autumn when the soil was a delight to work, whether weeding or planting. At others it could be hard, heavy, frozen, sodden, baked dry or claggy - mostly deep fertile loam on a clay subsoil but the potager end was especially tricky at times.
This garden is still a voyage of discovery but the soil has been unworkable for months because of drought. The spade or fork can literally bounce if we try and dig bands of solid clay or sand as hard as rock. Even the "good" bits where cattle have grazed and "improved" the soil for years are rock hard just now.