Tips for First-Time Gardeners

Article Contributed by Emma Croft

Gardening is a great choice for anyone looking to start a new hobby. It’s physical work, and a surprisingly effective form of exercise. Time spent outside tending your plants means more sunlight and fresh air, both of which have been linked to improved physical and mental health. But perhaps most simply, gardening gives you the chance to create. Whether you’re growing your own food or creating an outdoor oasis, you can use your skills and imagination to make something wonderful. 

However, many first-time gardeners are hesitant. Fortunately, with the right help, a good plan, and a touch of trial and error, you can create the garden you’ve been dreaming of: 

Get a Pro On Your Side

Although it’s possible to manage a garden on your own, having someone you start off on the right foot is a bonus. A professional gardener can be a great resource for any beginner gardener. There are, after all, a fair number of things to figure out early on in your plant care journey. What should you plant? Where should you plant it? What kind of care does it need? These are all questions a pro can help you answer. 

Consider Containers

If you’re worried about digging into the ground (or don’t have a convenient plot to do so in) you should consider starting with a container garden. These are a particularly excellent option for apartment dwellers, who may only have a porch or balcony to work with. Even if you do have a plot of land, starting in containers can make things substantially easier for you at the beginning.

Containers save you a lot of hassle as a first-timer. You won’t have to worry as much about weeds, or as Travis Neighbor Ward warns, risk the strongest plants in your plot taking over your entire garden. They’re also a low-commitment way to get started: if it turns out not to be for you, or you can’t quite get the plants you started with to thrive, you can always just empty the containers and try again. There are even self-watering versions that can significantly lighten your workload.

Make a Goal 

Many first-timers go into gardening without a specific goal in mind. However, gardening is just like any task when it comes to the importance of a vision. If you have a strong idea of what, exactly, you’re trying to achieve, you’re much more likely to achieve it. 

Set a gardening goal, and take some time to figure out exactly what success will look like. For example, if you want to grow a perennial garden, perhaps your major goal is to see the flowers bloom again next year. If you’re getting started on a vegetable plot, maybe you want to make a meal entirely out of home-grown ingredients. Come up with something measurable, so you know whether or not you made it - and have a sense for how close you came, if not. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Fail 

Setting specific goals doesn’t mean you should be afraid of falling short. In fact, failure is a natural part of gardening. Any green thumb can tell you there’s a lot to learn about gardening that you can only learn along the way. As Gardening Know How explains, fiddly details, like the acidity of the soil in your yard, can make or break your gardening attempts. The thing is, you won’t truly know what thrives in your space - or under your care - until you’ve done it. 

That’s why it’s so important to focus on failed plants as a learning opportunity, rather than a sign you’re not right for gardening. You may need to try caring for several different plants before you find the right fit - as long as you enjoy the work, keep at it until you find your leafy green soul mate! 

Gardening is a task that requires dedication and patience, but it pays off in the end. Eventually, you’ll have a beautiful garden you can harvest, prune, lounge in and enjoy. Even in the (unlikely) event that you never manage to grow a single thing, you’ll still have benefited from the time spent working outdoors. Gardening could be your great escape - just get started to find out.