As with any new project or hobby, it can sometimes be hard to get started. In this short post we will cover some simple tips to help you get on your way. Remember that not everything works for everyone so use our tips as a starting point and not hard and fast rules. Every garden and every gardener is different so finding what is right for you can take some time and some trial and error. But it never hurts so take some time and do some research so read on to find out some of our simple ideas to help you find your path.
Start Small
Often when starting something new it’s tempting to go all in, but this isn’t always the best way to approach things. Try and start a small garden patch or focus on just a few plants to start with. This way to can see if you like it without a large money or time investment. This will also help stop you getting overwhelmed and discouraged. It also means you can focus on what you have without getting spread too thin and potentially neglecting some plants because you have too much to do.
Use What You Have
You don’t need to go out and buy a lot of expensive materials or make complicated contraptions. Just use what you have or what you can easily get. To begin with it doesn’t have to look perfect. Gardening can get expensive and it is best to keep things low cost in the beginning and make use of what you might already have lying around. Even ask your friends or local gardeners for cuttings or seedlings from their gardens to get you started.
Get Advice
Talk to other gardeners, they will have their own hints and tips they can pass on. Especially locals, they will know what works best for the soil and climate in your area. Another good way is to join an online gardening forum, that way you can chat with people all over the place and get advice from a range of different people.
Keep Your Expectation Reasonable
There is no better way to get discouraged than to have unreasonably high expectations. Starting out you are going to hit some snags, you might have some plants die because you haven’t quite understood how to care for them, or they might die for no apparent reason. Be patient and keep trying. With vegetables, in your first year it is unlikely you are going to be able to grow enough to live off, but don’t let that put your off. Once you get the hang of things you can slowly build up your garden. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get it right first time every time.
Layout In Pots
When you get new plants it is very tempting to just dig a hole and get them in the ground as soon as possible. But some plants don’t like being handled too much and if you plant them somewhere you end up disliking later on, it can be challenging to dig them up and re plant them. So be patient for a few days and think things out, whilst they are still in their pots place them in the garden where you think you want them and see how it looks. Give it a few hours, see how it looks in the morning and evening. Move them around and see if they might suit another place better.
Don’t Be Afraid To Change Your Mind
Remember it is your garden and it has to work for you. So if you start growing something and decide you don’t like it, or it is too much work you can just rip it out. Changing your mind about a plant or garden bed isn’t failing, it is part of the journey. This might sound strange, considering the tip just above, but sometimes no matter how much thought you put into something, things change and you might just change your mind.
It may be an over used cliche but it is a journey, not a destination. What works for you might be different than what works for someone else. Experiment and try out different things to right your groove. Just like you your garden evolves and changes over time so go with it and enjoy getting out there and getting stuck in.
