(Newswire.net — February 2, 2018) — There’s something very satisfying about gardening. To watch something transition from a seed to a vibrant, thriving plant in a matter of weeks is a rewarding experience. But if you don’t have any experience gardening, you’re probably unsure of where to start.
Gardening Advice for the True Beginner
Gardening is something we, as humans, were born to do. It’s in our blood, so to speak. Unfortunately, it has also become a lost art in today’s world where you can purchase any fruit, veggie, or flower at your local Walmart.
Whether you’re looking to grow a couple of plants as a hobby, or you’re planning on creating a sustainable garden to supply food for your entire family, here’s some advice to help you get started:
1. Start Slow
When first starting out in gardening, one of the worst mistakes you can make is to plant too much stuff. While you might like the idea of having a garden filled with beans, squash, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, watermelon, herbs, spices, and half a dozen flower species, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Start slow and you’ll be able to dedicate more attention to the individual plants within your garden. Every plant requires different things and you’re much more likely to learn how to grow a particular veggie if you’re actually able to focus on it.
2. Grow What You Enjoy Eating
You’re much more likely to stick with gardening if you grow things you actually enjoy eating.
This might seem like obvious advice, but it’s amazing how many people grow different fruits and veggies because they think they should. When circumstances get tough, this leads to an abandoned garden and spurned hobby.
3. Buy Quality Tools
It’s really easy to head down to the local big box store and purchase a gardening “starter set” with a handful of tools and supplies that you need to get going. While some of these sets might be fine, most are made of cheap materials that will break within the first couple of seasons.
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to purchase quality tools the first time around. While they may cost significantly more, they’ll last for years – perhaps even decades. Barebones Living is a good place to look. They sell quality gardening tools at competitive prices.
4. Strategically Design the Garden Layout
Plants are rarely designed to grow in isolation. Not only do they need to be positioned in accordance with the sun and shade, but you also need to pay close attention to where you’re planting them in relation to other plant species.
In gardening, the term companion planting is used to describe the relationship between plants and how certain species thrive when they’re in the vicinity of other plants. Give this consideration when laying out your garden and you’ll have healthier, tastier produce.
Don’t Get In Over Your Head
A lot of people who get involved with gardening are really excited and end up biting off more than they can chew. They read so many blogs, watch so many videos, and pick up so much information that they feel as if they have to do everything at once. News flash: you don’t.
If you get in over your head during your first gardening season, the odds that you’ll stick with gardening are significantly reduced. As mentioned, it’s okay to take things slow and ease into it. In fact, this greatly increases the likelihood that you’ll become a skilled gardener down the road.