GARDEN IDEAS
Gardening for Beginners
Where to start!
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You don't need to read a hundred 'gardening for beginners' books before you get out there in the garden and make a start. In fact, you don't really have to read much more than the back of a seed packet or the information labels on the plants you bought at the garden centre.
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Throw in loads of common sense and a little physical exercise and you've made a great start on your new hobby!
Before you get your wellies on:
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If you've decided to take on gardening as your new hobby, or simply want to pretty up the backyard a bit, the very first step is to get a 'feel' for the space you'll be working with.
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Ask yourself some questions:
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*Where are the morning/afternoon sunny spots?
*What do you want to grow? Veggies, colourful flower displays or maybe lemon trees?
*Will you be using containers? What kind and at what cost?
*Is the soil fertile? - buy a soil analysis kit and test it.
*Are you planning a garden lawn with kids climbing frames and swings?
*Or perhaps a theme garden attracting bees and butterflies?
*Would a water feature liven up your space? or maybe a rock garden?
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Make some plans and jot down some ideas.
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Browse gardening magazines and drool over the glossy pictures of perfect landscaped gardens.... Adapt ideas to suit your space.
Read through some of the wonderful possibilities in 'Design & Decor'
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Grow your own organic garden vegetables to make the finest meals for your family.... grab a copy of 'Growing Everyday Vegetables' now and get planning your veggie patch :-) (listed on The Growing page at Healthy Living Books)
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or if you just want to try your hand at one thing at a time, pop over to Growing Guides and pick your downloadable :-)
Gardening for beginners - the next step:
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Once you've made a few plans and are bursting with good ideas for your garden, it's time to equip yourself with a few decent garden tools. If your budget won't stretch to all the tools and accessories available, buy just what you need to start.
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Maybe a spade and fork if you're soil gardening, the first few containers for patio displays, or perhaps a bag of decent seed compost and some packets of seeds.
Chat with local gardeners and tell them about your plans. You may get some good advice! They could also have tools stashed in their potting sheds that they no longer need.:-)
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Recycle as much as you can. Gardening is a natural hobby, and re-using throwaways and keeping an eye on your environment is all part of the big picture!
Making your own pots is a great start... I found this on Amazon... perfect!
Paper Pot Maker by Gifted Gardener
Versatile and biodegradable
Eco friendly
Great gift for gardening enthusiasts
And suddenly you're an expert!:
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Gardening is such an extensive subject, and so interactive and interchangeable, that it's impossible to know everything!
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Just become a local expert in your own garden. Get to know the space well. Use your knowledge to make the garden more productive, more attractive, or simply more practical for the kids.
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Look on your garden as an ongoing project always to be tweaked and improved upon.
You will naturally find a niche you adapt well to. Maybe rose gardening or producing the best champion marrows in the region. You could decide to adopt colour themes for different seasons.
The flowers for such a project will be easily available, in most cases.
Go with the flow and enjoy the environmental peace of your garden. Find out more about starting a garden on this page ... Starting a Garden