I mean this quite literally. It’s easy to become entranced by those glossy catalogs sent to you by all the top garden companies. Shivering in your cold house, it’s tempting to order one of each plant or seed with summer in mind. But don’t. You’ll create a garden that is way to much work, and just like that New Year’s diet, you’ll end up fizzing out and quitting. The weeds of July and water requirements of August will leave you frustrated. Keep it simple and start out small. How about a 10-by-10 foot themed garden or just a few patio pots the first year? Besides, you can only eat so many vegetables. Sure, it’s nice to have some leftovers to share with family and friends, but when your zucchini baseball bats start getting rejected; you know you planted too much!
The first year you start a garden is not the time to try pumpkins, watermelons or corn. They’re complicated. A long growing season and pests make them tough for beginners. Try crops that easily grow with little fuss like tomatoes, radishes, zucchini, cucumbers and lettuce. In particular, radishes and lettuce grow super fast so you’ll reap results sooner. This is especially true if you have young kids which in themselves are a ton of work! Don’t overexert yourself or your spouse. Stick to what’s doable and will yield quick gratification. Just an herb bed and a few cherry tomatoes plants are fine your first year.
You’re officially a gardener. Now it’s time to buy those $250 rubber Hunter boots you’ve been craving. You got to have the right look. Can’t wear clogs! Those are so frumpy. Whip out that credit card because you’ll also want lots of high-end tools, fancy gloves, plant markers, sun hats; not to mention plants, dirt, exotic pots, fences and everything else under the sun. Gardening can be an expensive hobby. But lots of us garden because 1) We want to know where our food is sourced from 2) We’re hoping to eat better and 3) We like saving money by growing organic instead of purchasing. Buy only what you absolutely need. Try to buy used when you can or upcycle.
When you’re all gung-ho about your garden, it’s easy to commit to planting everything from seed. After all, you’re excited. But some crops, like tomatoes, just don’t yield themselves well started from seed. You have to have the lighting, timing and heating down to perfection or the seedlings die. Some plants like tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and melons are easier bought as seedlings or small plants for timing reasons. On the flip side, don’t get lured into spending more on plants that you should. Peas, beans, squash, leafy greens and carrots all love to be sowed directly in the ground from seed. Just make sure the timing is right and the beds carefully prepared.
With tools, you get what you pay for. Buy one quality tool, not four cheapies. Cheap tools break and don’t work well. It also takes longer to get the job done with the wrong tool. Tools are a long-term investment that you should get many years use from. Lots of tools are fun, but in my garden it’s usually my shovel, hoe, hand trowel and rake that I constantly reach for. If you’re tackling the landscaping then good hand pruners and hedge shears are essential. When looking for a shovel, aim for one that is sharp and pointed, and tall enough so that you’re not hunched over when using. I like a hoe with a good point on the end but it’s all about personal preference. Both should be somewhat lightweight.
My brain always says tilling a ton is a good idea. Even many old-school gardeners think tilling is still the best practice. But the most recent research says this isn’t necessarily so. Can I get an amen? Less work sounds fantastic to me. Over-tilling to the point where the soil becomes powdery destroys the soil structure. It also drums up weeds and causes a manifestation of them to sprout. Skip this job altogether and plant in lumpy soil or hand-dig to till.
Many new gardeners plant tomatoes, melons and pumpkins way to close together not realizing how big they get. Conversely, herbs and lettuce get too much garden space. For some, planting in blocks and wide rows is better than planting in single rows with the standard foot path in between each row. If trying the block method, try planting peas, beans and lettuce in a 3 by 3 block. The first step when considering spacing is to carefully read the instructions on the seed packet or plant tag. Make sure you are fully aware of how big the plant will get by August and its spacial requirements.
The first time I saw bugs swarming around my broccoli plants and the large holes they left, I panicked! I went out and bought a few pesticides to try to rectify the problem. But those chemicals are bad. The truth is, it’s better to eat veggies with a few bug bites in them than consume pesticides. Preventative measures are best. Try encouraging beneficial pests like insects, toads, ladybugs, spiders and birds and blocking others like deer and rabbits with fences.
If you go too big, you’ll end up with a lot of manual watering work come those hot days of July and August. Is this really what you want to be doing every morning and night? Standing outside holding a hose? Boring. Some years, we get so little rain that watering almost everyday becomes essential. It’s tempting to install some sort of sprinkler system and flick a switch instead of manually watering by hand. But many plants prefer a more tailored approach to watering by receiving water directly and deeply at their base. How about striking a compromise between the sprinkler system and hand watering with a drip irrigation system? The base of the plant gets watered and you can still push the easy button.
No longer do we have a separate flower garden, veggie garden and herb bed. Mix and match I say! Not only will a few flowers make your garden more aesthetically pleasing, but some like marigolds may actually help deter pests. Besides, a vegetable garden can look too monotone, flowers and herbs will add both depth and taste. This past summer, I saw a garden that had some cherry tomatoes mixed in the perennial beds and the effect was quite pleasing. It’s called companion planting and works well.
It never dawned on me to mix flowers and plants together! Duh! Makes sense and so pretty! Thanks!
Nice set-up
Thank you for the informative post. I wish I could have a garden. I live in a small apartment.
Just totally lovely❣️
Thanks so much for the very informative article.
i MAKE MANY MANY mistakes in my garden. Thanks for the info.
All great tips for ANY gardener.
So much good info I need those red boots.
Thanks for the tips!
I agree that sometimes it’s worth buying seedlings rather than starting from seeds. I’ve been learning that the hard way and wasting time and money along the way.
Good tips to keep in mind
These tips are very helpful. Thanks for sharing!
These are great tips for beginners; and, nice ones for seasoned gardeners too. Only in the last five years have I intermixed vegetable plants into some of my floral perennial beds AND vice-versa! It’s been a satisfying success. And, as I’ve been making my own compost for awhile, I find mixing it into our soil with a pitchfork to be quick and easy. My husband has been such a dear by using his grinder to keep my shovels/spades sharp. And, I love my sharp shooter for those occasions when I’ve needed to divide and/or relocate perennials and/or shrubs. Thanks for sharing your spot on tips!
thanks for great info!!!
Great tips! Thanks 😊
Diatomaceous Earth is great for the pests.
Thanks for sharing, they are great tips
Thanks for the information.
Great tips for newbies!
I love the mixing of veggies and flowers, so pretty and useful.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing
Great info!! Thanks!
thanks for the info
I learned years ago that flowers and veggie plant need each other. I read and learn because there is always something to discover that you didn’t know. Thanks for sharing.
These are great tips, thank you so much for sharing! Gardening can seem overwhelming when you’re new to it.
I like to grow tomatoes here in Florida, but lately the squirrels are gnawing on them. Any suggestions?
Informative! I so badly want a garden but I know that I don’t have the time now to devote to it. Full time job and 3 littles. 🙁 One day!
Thank you for the info my next garden I will have plants and flowers mixed
Be sure to plant vegetables that taste good to you. My cherry tomatoes this year don’t have the right flavor and I am disappointed.
Hubby and I love gardening and always love great tips! The beauty enhances your home with the perfectly kept flower garden. We also love veggie gardening because nothing better to serve to the family!
My first year I made most of these mistakes especially the first tip. My hubby went out and bought 50+ tomato plants alone and I foolishly said that I can do it haha. I had a jungle of tomato plants and then the aphids and hornworms came, i had to call defeat with some of my crop. Last year i did a no-till garden & had great results.
This was super informative thank you for sharing this one. I so need to save this post.
My step dad plans all his gardening right before summer hits. He has everything set up and we have a spot to the left side of our backyard it’s very large, and he loves and enjoys it every year. We grow a lot of tomatoes & hot peppers and green peppers. We grew a watermelon before but not successful LOL.
I’ve learned a lot from your blogs keep it up
LIKE TO WIN
I can grow anything from seed. Love tomatoes🙂
My husband plants his garden every spring and summer and loves to see the growth of each plant. I enjoy your blog, all the great tips and the beautiful pictures.
Great information to help with gardening. The water situation here will make us cut back on gardening in the future for lack of water here.
I’m not a newbie, but there is always more to learn. I am just starting to mix herbs and tomatoes in with my flower beds. And if I can convince my new neighbor to cut down a half dead tree in their yard, I am going to try the block planting. I had something similar years ago before this tree grew up and blocked all my sun.