“The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses” is a quote that perfectly describes gardening. That is why gardening is one of the most rewarding hobbies. If you’re considering starting your own garden, you’re on the good way to choosing a great pass time activity that will bring you many benefits.
The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to gardening is that you don’t need a big garden to grow food or flowers. What you do need is a lot of patience and perseverance to see your garden grow and transform.
If you’re still interested in starting a garden, here are 10 beginner tips for a beautiful garden.
1. Decide what you want to grow
The first and most logical tip would be to decide what you want to grow. As a beginner, the best would be to start with something simple, that’s not too demanding or too complex to look after. Something like herbs or simple flowers.
Of course, if you love a challenge, you can start with more complex plants right away. It’s really up to you and how much you think you can handle. A vegetable garden or a couple of fruits are more challenging than herbs and flowers, so you might want to try your hand at that.
Whichever option you settle for, you won’t be wrong. However, keep in mind that the bigger and more complex your garden is, the bigger the commitment.
2. Choose the right spot
Once you’ve decided what you want to grow, you can now start choosing the right spot for your garden. The most ideal location for any garden is a spot with a lot of sunlight. This is especially important if you’re planning on growing a vegetable garden.
Vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, squashes, eggplants, and so on love sunlight, so choosing a spot in your garden that gets the most sunlight, is the best spot for a veggie garden.
When it comes to herbs, some of them also thrive in sun – herbs such as lavender, basil, chamomile, mint, oregano, and many more. Of course, there will be plants and vegetables that don’t mind the shade, but before you choose the spot, do your research and figure out if the plants that you want to have are okay with shade.
3. Start small
Since you’re only just starting your garden, our advice would be to start small. You’re still an inexperienced gardener and starting small makes sense. With time and as you gain confidence and experience, you can easily start covering larger areas and planting new vegetable patches.
4. Plan your garden
Now, before you roll up your sleeves and start planting right away, the smart thing would be to plan out your garden first. Experienced gardeners know that not all plants and vegetables can be combined and mixed.
That’s why you need to carefully plan where you’ll plant what. Figure out which portion of your garden will suit which plants and go from there. Also, do your research on which plants and veggies can be combined and which shouldn’t.
5. Get all the necessary tools
The next step is to get all the necessary garden tools that you’ll need. Garden tools play a big role in garden maintenance and that’s why you need to have them all ready to use.
For example, you’ll need spades, rakes, and forks to prepare the soil, then to plant your veggies or herbs, you’ll need a hand trowel, knife, and a rake. For the upkeep of your plants, you’ll need pruners, shears, and so on.
You will also need to invest in a good garden hose, preferably with a good garden hose reel. Handy garden hose reels can be lifesavers because no one likes dealing with twisted and tangled hoses.
6. Learn how to plant
Once you have all the necessary equipment and tools and you know what you want to plant and where – it’s time to learn how to plant. It’s important to know how to properly put the plants into the ground so that they can live and grow properly.
Before planting, you should prepare the soil, de-weed it and add fertilizer, if necessary. Once the soil is prepared, you can go ahead and plant.
Flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables are planted differently, so before you start planting, scour the internet for information on how to plant each of these types of plants.
7. Learn when and how to water your garden
Knowing how and when to water your garden is crucial for the survival of your plants. There are different watering practices suitable for different plants, so you should find information on how to properly water the plants you’ve chosen for your garden.
It’s important to know that most plants don’t like to be overwatered because too much water can end up rotting their roots. So, before you start watering, check to see the moisture of the soil and based on that you’ll know whether to water or not. The best time to water most plants is in the early morning or late afternoon.
8. Feed your plants accordingly
Just like water, your plants also need feeding. Healthy, green, and colorful plants are those that are regularly fed. And how exactly do you feed your plants? With compost or organic fertilizers.
What you’re really feeding is the soil and in the process, your plants also benefit. The compost and fertilizer are spread into the surface of the soil, around each plant base. Do this carefully, so you don’t disturb the roots.
Normally, your plants should be fed during the growing season – spring and summer. This means that the plants in your garden should be fed every two to three weeks during the growing season.
9. Keep a close eye on weeds and pests
The greatest enemies of your garden are weeds and pests. That’s why you should keep a close eye on them. De-weed regularly and use appropriate herbicides that won’t harm your plants.
As for pests, in addition to pesticides, you can look for natural ways to keep them away from your plants. There are various very effective natural ways to keep pests away from your garden, so give them a try.
10. Enjoy your garden
Once everything is done, it’s time to enjoy your garden. The purpose of planting a garden is not just working in it, but also taking a seat and enjoying what you’ve made.
We already mentioned that planting a garden can be very rewarding, in more than one way. Watching your garden grow and thrive is one way to enjoy and reap the benefits of your hard labor.
Starting a garden may seem more daunting than it is. The planning and preparation are what take up the most time, but once you plant all your plants, that’s when the real fun starts. All in all, you won’t regret starting a garden, that’s for sure!