If you have never gardened before, starting a new garden can be overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are several things to consider when you start gardening for the first time so you can be a successful beginner.
In recent years it has become increasingly popular to eat whole foods that are organic, healthy, and locally sourced. The terms field to fork or farm to table resonate with families who want to eat healthier foods. This has created a large interest in gardening.
With the current interest in gardening, it’s becoming more common than ever to have a personal garden and thanks to the abundance of information available to us, anyone can have a beautiful and bountiful backyard garden.
Anyone Can Garden
Gardening at home doesn’t require a large expanses of land. There are many ways to grow gardens whether you have a large or small yard. Gardens can be grown in pots, raised beds, on the patio or indoors if space is limited. All you need is desire and a bit of a green thumb.
The type of garden and things you grow depend on several important factors.
Soil Type
Make certain the plants you want to grow work well in your soil type. This is very important, However if your soil type isn’t right you can easily enhance your soil if needed. Visit your local gardening supply store and they can help you find what you need.
Sunshine vs Shade
Determining the balance of light and shade really matters. Check the tags on each plant that you purchase, or the seed pack if starting from seeds, to know how much sun is required for each plant that you want to use in your garden.
Climate
Determining the climate where you live is also very important. If you aren’t sure about gardening in your climate the National Gardening Association has tools to help you determine your gardening zone and an abundance of other helpful information.
Access to water
All living things need water, so planning how to keep plants hydrated is a big consideration.
Time
Ultimately creating a garden takes time. Make sure the garden you want fits with your lifestyle. Some gardens require very little effort but yield bountiful results while other gardens need a lot of tender loving care. Choose the style that works best for your needs and the time you have to give.
Consider all these things when planning your garden. When I was choosing my garden I knew that I have all the space that I could possible want for gardening however summer is the busiest time in my life. I love the bounties of a garden but can’t maintain a large garden. With that in mind I choose to use containers for planting. This allows a happy medium between maintaining a large garden and still having some fresh items that I can walk out and pick without all the work. For me this is a perfect balance.
Like I mentioned in the beginning of this post, you need desire and a green thumb. Many of us aren’t born with green thumbs. I know I wasn’t. So to be successful you need to have at least one greenish thumbs. So let’s talk about that for a minute.
Three Tips to Turn a Brown Thumb Green
A lot of people jump headfirst into the deep end of the garden and come up with a brown thumb- the polar opposite of the green thumb all great gardeners want. Having a brown thumb can make gardening feel like pushing a very heavy watermelon uphill all summer long… in other words, not fun! This is how I started and after a disastrous gardening season I lost interest in gardening for several years.
So that you don’t share in my bad experiences as a beginner gardener, here are 3 tips for gardening for beginners.
Tip #1- Start With Easy-To-Grow Foods
Gardening isn’t all that hard when you get the basics down. Having the right environment matters which is what we already talked about, however growing the right foods is just as important. Grow foods that are easier than others to grow! Staring with foods that are nearly bullet proof. If you’re new or rebounding from a bad gardening experience, focus on foods that are easy to plant, manage, and harvest.
Green beans are hearty and easy to grow. They tend to have an abundant harvest and can be canned or frozen to enjoy all year. Radishes are hearty and grow relatively quickly.
Tip #2- Start Small for Larger Success
Some people fail at gardening because they take on more than they can handle. Gardens require maintenance which can get overwhelming if you are new to the craft. From maintaining the plants, weeding, pest and critter control, it can feel like you’re spending more time taking care of plants than your children. Can anyone relate?
A great place to start is by having small raised bed garden or try growing a hearty plant in a container. Learning to care for one, two, or three types of plants can help you get your hands dirty and keep your thumb green. As you gain experience and confidence you can easily add to the variety of foods you grow. Tomatoes have always done well for me in containers but just keep in mind that the plants get big and need support as they grow.
Tip #3- Learn As You Grow
If you didn’t grow up gardening with an older, wiser adult, you may have a lot to learn. It’s best to learn as you go…or grow. Each plant, each season, will teach you new things about gardening. It’s normal to have some things work and some things fail. Your garden is unique with specific benefits and deficits. Learning what your garden needs, what thrives, and what should be avoided may take research, trial and error, and time. Don’t give up. Consider each success a victory and each failure nothing more than feedback.
Gardening can be a balance between easy-as-pie and what-was-I-thinking. Don’t worry if your thumb feels a bit brown when you begin. Over time you’ll get the hang of things and be growing and producing a beautiful and bountiful backyard garden.
Did You Know?
Victory gardens were part of the war effort during World War I and World War II. First known as the War Garden Movement, victory gardens began in 1917 when Charles Lathop Pack began the War Garden Commission. This commission provided education and encouragement for the US to begin planting, harvesting, and preserving food to offset the demand for fresh food in America. This allowed more food to be sent to Europe to support the allies, many of whom were farmers forced to leave their land and their work to serve in the war.
After World War I the habit of private gardening remained common for many communities and when World War II began victory gardening was encouraged again when food rationing became necessary in 1942. US families were encouraged to use all available spaces, including schools, vacant lots, parks, and backyards to “sow the seeds of victory.” At this time, 15 million families were said to have participated in the patriotic war effort, producing what would be the equivalent of 40% of today’s produce during the war.
Victory gardens did more than supply food for American families and made it possible for allies to have produce during wartime. Victory gardens boosted morale and gave families something tangible and valuable to contribute during a time of great sacrifice.
Adding a garden in your backyard is a simple and rewarding way to honor the tradition of victory gardening from the past. Planting food, sharing your bounty and supporting yourself and others is a noble and generous activity to do whether there is conflict in the world or not.
Comments