Gardening: How To Get Started

By John Ehrling Posted on 10/6/2018

If you’ve always flirted with the idea of growing your very own vegetable garden, or sprucing up the outdoor appearance of your home with some flowers and shrubs, now is the time to develop your green thumb and make it a reality this year. Too many times, would-be gardeners are intimidated by the process, lacking confidence that they will be able to learn all of the nuances and secret gardening tips to have their own successful gardens.

Gardening Wheelbarrow

Luckily, we’re here to breakdown how easy it is to get started with your very own garden. Through a little education, patience, and the right resources, you can call yourself a gardener by the end of the season.

 

Getting Started with a Garden Inside or Outside?

Depending your gardening ambition, the first question you should be asking yourself is if you want to start out with a little inside display, or a true, outdoor garden. Indoor gardens can be just as rewarding, enabling you to grow fruits and veggies without the outdoor worries. However, nothing quite compares to going all-in and mastering Mother Nature.

 

How to Get Started With Your Very Own Garden

  1. Gardening Tools: Before you get started gardening, it’s time to get the tools and resources you need to be successful at it. Grab a shovel, rake, something to help you break up roots, some gloves to protect your hands, and any other tool to help you get it right.
  2. Raised Beds: Consider utilizing a raised bed. A raised bed is a typically a box isolated from the outdoor soil. Starting with a raised bed allows for more control over your garden. Creating a physical barrier between your crops and the wild outdoors will save you the extensive weed-pulling and analyzing process that can feel overwhelming to a new gardener.
  3. Do Your Homework: The U.S. has thousands of different sub-climates, which means you need to do your homework and play to your region. Learn about sun exposure, water yields, frost dates, etc. before you decide to move ahead with the plants of your choice.
  4. Compost Units: Instead of dropping hundreds of dollars at the gardening store to get your garden started with nutrient enriched soil, start a compost bin today. Throw away your organic food scraps, and utilize the valuable, moist compost when it’s time to start your garden. Your plants will have a greater chance of success.
  5. Mulch: If you want to protect your plants, consider the value of mulch and its natural weed-killing abilities. Cover your beds in 2 inches of mulch to invest in your gardens longevity.
  6. Plan Now: You can never start prepping for your own garden too early. The more work you put in ahead of time, like the making of the garden beds, the more enjoyable the experience will be when it’s finally nice outside. Spreading tasks overtime will make approaching gardening much easier, helping you to learn a lot over slow, purposeful time.
  7. Seed Planting: When you’re finally ready to get started decide if you’re planting in the ground, a pot, or raised bed, till the area, remove grasses and weeds when applicable, and get it ready for the seeds. If you feel like you need a little more experience, try purchasing baby plants from the store and seeing their lifecycle through before you get down and dirty with the seeds.
Photo by: Rich Pomerantz

Starting a Garden Final Thoughts

Getting started with a garden is as easy as can be, if you’re willing to do a little reading, slow methodical planning, and composting on your property. Once the sun comes out, nothing is more rewarding than toiling in your garden all day, harvesting crops you grew and serving them to friends and family on the dinner table.