This year was the first year I tried my hand at a little garden. I’ve had a flower garden for a few years. It was a disaster by the end of summer. So I wasn’t sure if I was ready. I always plant my flowers around May Long. This year, May wasn’t at all an enjoyable month. We had just lost our son, Ezra at 16 weeks gestation. You can read about it more HERE. I had no intention of doing anything. No flowers, no veggies, nothing. But my family urged me to do it. They made it this whole big family thing. My son had a blast helping and he’s been the biggest helper with it all summer. I’m going to share with you my gardening beginners’ tips!
I did my usual flower beds out front. And this year we did herbs, veggies, and a sweet little garden for the boys, Mal and Ezra’s, with Ezra’s birth month flower and some roses. And Mal’s purple flowers that he loves.
Okay, so since I am a total beginner at this I’ll share my beginners’ info with any of you beginner out there.
I got most of my plants from various garden centers. Home Depot and Walmart was my favorite!
List of Veggies/Herbs – low maintenance (kind of), easy to grow:
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Dill
- Thyme
- Basic
- Rosemary
- Sage
They all survived (mostly), there was a lawnmower accident with one of my zucchinis. We got a good harvest from them. I replanted more carrots mid to the end of June. They are still growing as I type this. But I have slacked with my watering so they aren’t growing that well. Anywho I’d say for my first time out it went really well.
So Tips for Gardening Beginners’.
Tip #1
Don’t bite more than you can chew. So to speak.
If you’ve never tried gardening (like me before this summer), don’t try too much at once. Unless you’ve got help. I got overwhelmed at times and just didn’t want to deal with weeding, and watering and picking when you’re supposed to. Covering them if there’s a chance of frost. It can be a lot so start small. Next year I’m planning great things.
Tip #2
Start earlier – inside
Next year I’m totally doing this. Starting my squash, carrots, and lettuce inside for sure. I’ll see what else I do. You’ll get an early harvest, and you might even get more out of the season.
Tip #3
Don’t let veggies or herbs flower.
If it gets to that point, you’ll lose the rest of the summer for more growth. I did that with my basil. Now it’s just a pretty plant.
Tip #4
Don’t give up. We got this really hot week at the end of July and I didn’t go outside as much because the bugs were horrendous and the heat obviously. So when they needed water the most, I gave up. This one kind of ties into all of it. Do what you can handle and what you have time for.
My flower garden is always my favorite. It adds pretty colors to my front yard and this year it was a nice addition to our backyard.
Flower Garder
- Gerbers
- Dahlias
- Marigolds
- Pansies
- Petunias
- Irises
- And a few others my mother-in-law gave me that I don’t know the name
Next year I want to add lavender and tulips maybe.
I only have two tips for flower gardens.
Tip#1
Weeding every day – if you let it get too bad it’ll take too long to get rid of them and then you’ll give up. At least I know that is what happened to me.
Tip#2
Get ever-growing flowers (ones where you deadhead them and they keep coming.) or ones that you cut and they’ll keep growing. Dahlias and Gerbera can be cut and brought inside and the plant will keep producing. Irises grow, die and that’s that. And it’s fast. Everything else if I kept up with taking off the dead flowers it’d grow more.
Those are all my great beginners’ tips for gardening. I hope it helps. I’m no expert and this is solely on my experience this year. I’d love to hear your tips and suggestions! Leave them in the comments below.
Love Crystal
