According to Bigger Garden, nearly 55% of households in the United States own a garden. That means, on average, every other house you pass on your way to work has a garden – either indoors or outdoors.
That’s a lot of gardens, but why is gardening so popular?
Well, for starters, gardening is more than just a hobby – it’s a lifestyle.
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And like most lifestyles, everyone has their own reason for getting involved.
Some people garden for the health benefits, while others do it for the fresh food. Some people want to improve their home’s curb appeal, while others want an excuse to spend more time outside with family.
It doesn’t matter what your reasoning is – we want you to know that any friend of the garden is a friend of ours. And to anyone interested in joining the gardening community – we welcome you with open arms!
Not only that, but we’re here to help!
As a token of our appreciation for the gardening community, we want to share with you some of our best tips for beginners who are starting a garden for the first time – things I wish I had known before I started.
That said, let’s start with the basics – what do you want to plant?
What Are You Planting In Your Garden?
Alright, so you’ve decided you want to start a garden – first off, congratulations! This is an exciting time for you, but it can also be an overwhelming experience as you try to figure out what to grow in your garden.
With more than 435,000 unique land plant species in the world, the opportunities are endless.
Don’t worry—most of those plants can be divided into four categories: fruits, vegetables, herbs/spices, and flowers. Some gardens focus on just one plant group, while others introduce a combination of plant groups and species. The real question is, what plant groups are you going to feature in your garden?
Well, let’s find out!
4. Fruits
Adding fruits to your garden is a quick way to ensure you have your favorite fruits on hand while reducing your monthly grocery bill. Just think about how much easier it would be to pack your or your child’s lunch!
If you’re worried about maintaining large fruit trees, don’t worry – they have dwarf fruit trees, too!
Some of the easiest fruits to grow in your at-home garden include strawberries, tomatoes (yes, they’re technically a fruit!), blueberries, raspberries, apples, limes, lemons, figs, peaches, and nectarines.
3. Vegetables
Vegetables are extremely important to a healthy diet and are a staple for most cooking recipes, so adding them to your garden is yet another way to lessen that monthly grocery bill and encourage healthy eating!
I, personally, can’t imagine a garden without at least one vegetable in it.
Some of the best vegetables to grow in an at-home garden include lettuce, other leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale), cucumbers, peppers, carrots, radishes, zucchini, squash, potatoes, beans, and onions.
2. Herbs and Spices
Now that you have the fruits and vegetables, why not add a little flavor to your homegrown, home-cooked meal? Don’t worry – herbs and spices are easy to grow, won’t take up space, and are key to any recipe.
Herbs are usually the leaves of the plant, while spices are derived from other parts of the plant.
The best herbs to grow include basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, mint, cilantro, chives, and oregano. The best spices to grow include chili peppers, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cumin, fennel seed, and mustard.
1. Flowers
Whether you’re looking to add some character and personality to your food garden, or simply want to give the front (or back) of your house some color, nothing enhances your curb appeal like beautiful flowers.
Flowers are generally divided into one of two categories: perennials and annuals.
Perennials (like lavender, daylilies, peonies, and coneflowers) can grow back year after year, while annuals (like petunias, marigolds, impatiens, pansies, and zinnias) need to be replanted every year.
Raised Garden Beds vs. In-Ground Gardens
Now that you know what you’re planting, let’s discuss the actual garden itself – more specifically, whether you’ll be building an in-ground garden or a raised garden bed. Both have benefits, both have downfalls.
The best choice depends on your goals, available space, soil conditions, and personal preferences.
So, what is an in-ground garden?
As the name suggests, an in-ground garden utilizes the natural soil in your yard. You’ll plant your seeds directly into the ground, meaning you won’t have to build any additional structures to house your plants.
You will, however, need to clear the area of any weeds and grass, as well as nurture the soil to ensure it’s healthy enough to support your plants. This can involve adding compost, manure, or other organic matter.
So, what is a raised garden bed?
A raised garden bed comes in handy when you lack space or have inadequate soil. It involves building a contained unit above ground level, usually framed by wood, stone, or concrete, and filled with quality soil.
One of the standout advantages is the ability to have complete control over the soil environment, which leads to improved drainage and aeration. They also heat up faster, so you can start planting a little early.
10 Things to Consider When Starting a Garden
By now, you know what you’re planting and have the designated space to do it. That means you’re well on your way to having a full-fledged garden, and we couldn’t be more excited to be right by your side!
That said, let’s continue this momentum – because we’re not quite there yet!
The truth is there are a lot of things you need to consider when building the perfect garden. Knowing what (and where) to plant sets the perfect foundation, but now we have to figure out the logistics of everything.
My advice – stay patient because this is the hard part.
To be honest, most gardeners learn the logistics through a series of trials and errors. Much like any other hobby or skill, it takes practice to master the art and science of gardening. Don’t worry, we have some tips that’ll help you bypass some of those trials – that way, you can minimize some of those timely errors.
Let’s get started!
10. Equipment & Supplies
Having the right equipment not only makes your job easier but also allows you to get more done in less time. You know what they say – work smarter, not harder. Trust me, it’s worth the up-front investment.
Without the right equipment, gardening becomes a chore – not a hobby.
If you’re just getting started, I recommend buying gloves, pruning shears, loppers, a garden fork, a hand trowel, a spade, a rake, a shovel, a hoe, a hose, a watering can, a watering wand, and a wheelbarrow.
PRO TIP: Don’t be afraid to roll your sleeves up and get your hands dirty – it brings you closer to nature!
9. Sunlight Exposure
Make sure you analyze how much sunlight your garden gets daily (six to eight hours is ideal) and understand the sun’s path throughout the day – as well as how that path changes as the seasons change.
Plants rely on the energy in sunlight to produce the nutrients they need.
Of course, some plants need more sunlight than others. Understanding how much sunlight your plants need is important to ensure you’re providing an optimal environment for plant growth and development.
PRO TIP: Make quality use of shaded areas – either with decorations or plants that don’t need sunlight.
8. Water Supply
Did you know water makes up roughly 95% of a plant’s tissue? That’s why it’s so important to water your plants on a daily basis – like humans, water is crucial to a plant’s health, structure, growth, and survival.
For the best results, make sure your plants have regular access to a water supply.
That could mean a few things. Some people use a hose or watering can to manually water the plants several days per week, while others use drip irrigation, which essentially waters the plants for them.
PRO TIP: Utilize a hose faucet timer to automate what days and what time the irrigation turns on.
7. Soil Health
All the water and sunlight in the world won’t make up for poor soil. While you can usually tell whether soil is good or bad simply by its appearance and feel, a soil test can provide a more detailed analysis.
If you don’t want to do a soil test yourself, your county’s Extension Service will do it for you.
The soil test will reveal the soil’s acidity level and nutrient levels – with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium being the three most important nutrients. If you have bad soil, you’ll need to correct it.
PRO TIP: Fertilizer and organic matter can help restore the nutrients not currently present in your soil.
6. Size & Location
Before you start building your garden – whether it’s a raised garden bed or an in-ground garden – be honest about how big you want it to be. Something that’s too spacious might be too much to handle.
Likewise, something that’s too small might not satisfy what you’re trying to achieve.
You should also consider the garden’s location, especially since different areas of your yard (and even different areas of the garden, if it’s large enough) get different amounts of sunlight during the day.
PRO TIP: Utilize containers, pots, vertical gardening, and other methods to better utilize space.
5. Decorate Your Garden
Equipment, sunlight, water, soil, location – you’re almost ready to plant. Before we get there, take this opportunity to decorate your garden and give it a little character – something that resonates with you.
This is your chance to give your garden a little personality and charm.
Keep in mind that the decorations in your garden will evolve over time, so it’ll never be fully complete. With that said, getting off to a good start will help make the space look more personalized to your liking.
PRO TIP: Give your garden a name and introduce a sign to let others know what you’ve named it!
4. Where to Buy Seeds
Alright, you’re ready to plant, but there’s only one small problem – you don’t have seeds. Unfortunately, your plants won’t magically appear just because you wished for it to happen – that’s not how this works.
Don’t worry – seeds are easy to find, and they won’t break the bank.
Shopping at local garden centers and nurseries offers the advantage of finding seeds that are well-suited to your local climate and soil conditions. You can also direct any questions you might have to the staff.
PRO TIP: Two of my favorite places to buy seeds are my local farmer’s market and directly from farms.
3. Create a Planting Schedule
Most beginners underestimate just how much effort goes into managing and maintaining a garden. To make your life a little easier, I recommend creating a schedule to outline your daily and weekly needs.
A schedule helps maximize the efficiency and productivity of your garden.
Much like you do with your work schedule, checking your garden schedule every day will give you a clear idea of what needs to be done. Do they need to be watered, is it planting day – your schedule will tell you!
PRO TIP: Some plants grow in colder climates, and some even indoors, so make it a year-round thing!
2. Maintain Weeds & Control Critters
Now that your plants are in the ground and starting to sprout, your goal is to maintain and enhance their environment as needed. This is often a tedious process for beginners, but it’s necessary for plant growth.
The two most important culprits here are weeds and critters.
A weed is essentially any plant that grows in an area you don’t want it to grow in – if you see one, rip it out! As for critters, some are good (bees, ladybugs, mantis), and some are bad (rodents, aphids, beetles).
PRO TIP: Mulch can help deprive weeds of sunlight, but be careful not to use too much mulch.
1. Document Your Journey
One of the things I wish I had done when I started gardening was document my journey, especially the beginning – and not just as a keepsake, but to monitor my progress and learn from past mistakes.
You’re going to put in a lot of time, energy, and effort – so why not document it?
It can be something you keep for yourself or something you share with others – through a blog or social media profile. What’s important is that you have fun with it and you never stop challenging yourself!
PRO TIP: Don’t be afraid to join an online or local gardening group – you’ll meet some new friends!
Common Problems Beginners Face When Starting a Garden
Starting a garden for the first time is never easy. There are so many ins and outs, nuances, and tricks to the trade that take time to learn. What you need to accept is that mistakes are inevitable when gardening.
But that’s okay – in fact, it’s all a part of the gardening experience!
My advice? Enjoy it – both the good times and the bad times!
So, what are the most common problems beginners face when starting a garden for the first time?
Some of the most important include not watering enough or too much, poor soil quality, planting at the wrong time, choosing the wrong plant varieties, pest infestations, plant spacing, and neglecting weeds.
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Don’t worry – new gardeners can gradually develop their skills and enjoy the rewards of a thriving garden by researching plant needs, learning from mistakes, and seeking advice from more experienced gardeners or reliable resources. You have an entire community behind you – and we’re rooting for you!