GARDEN IDEAS
Starting a Garden
If you're thinking about starting a garden, the most important thing is not to get over-awed by the idea. As soon as you start talking about a new interest, experts on the subject come at you from every angle with mostly some great advice, although not all of it will be.
Starting a garden is no exception! It doesn't matter what month it is, or whether you think you are too late to start your garden this year... you're not!
So, put your feet up, grab a notebook and let's get going!
The first and probably the most important question to ask yourself is...
"What do I want from my garden/outdoor space?"
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One way to uncover your wants that are appropriate to the size of your garden, is to take a while to contemplate... Sit outside and allow the environment to take over your thoughts. Ideas will turn up unexpectedly, especially if you really are serious about starting a garden.
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There are many garden ideas you can use to brainstorm and come up with the right ideas for your space, and what would suit you and your family. Starting a garden should be fun :-)
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Veggie patch: Are you longing to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs to ensure the best possible diet for everyone?
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Containers: Are you facing a concrete yard and can't face the building work involved? Containers may be the answer.
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Flowers: Are you a rose enthusiast? Or how about edible flowers to jazz up the family dinners?
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Themes: Your whole outside space could be a theme to enhance your home, an attractive outdoor art form, or even a wildlife sanctuary.
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If you have the space to explore a few different ideas, go for it! While you are in the process of starting a garden, the sky's the limit!
The next best thing to do, while still relaxing in your garden of course, is grab a notepad and roughly draw out a plan of the garden and start playing with design. It doesn't have to be to scale, although it has to be realistic. When you start getting down to work, the plans, no doubt, will be adjusted!
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NB: Allow space for fun and relaxation - especially relaxation. Sitting in your garden will encourage more ideas and will also melt away stress.
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Before starting a garden, there will be a few tools to acquire. Not necessarily that many, but you will need a few bits and pieces. Get the tools first; it's so frustrating when you are on a roll and you have to stop because you haven't the right tool for the job.
There are tons of tools online. I'm favouring Thompson and Morgan (UK) right now - they've been around for over a hundred years!
Tools:
If you've decided to grow fruit, flowers, herbs or vegetables in open ground, the main tools you will need are a spade, fork, rake and probably a dutch hoe. Buy good quality tools that feel comfortable and not too heavy to use.
Smaller tools, such as a trowel and watering can are also important and are needed if you are container growing. For wildlife gardens, you may simply need a sharp pair of shears to cut down any invasive plants from time to time.
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Wear heavy shoes or boots in the garden when you are digging or using any larger tools. And protect your hands with decent gardening gloves. If you're facing a bramble patch before starting a garden, make sure the gloves are bionic! This Gardening Clothes page will help you decide what you need.
Products:
Seed trays, pots and a few pot markers are the basics if you're intending to sow seeds or start off young plants. This is a good moment to recycle and get some free pots!
Collect cardboard tubes from toilet rolls or wash, dry and save yoghurt pots with a few drainage holes punched in the bottom. Cardboard tubes are ideal as they only last for a while and can be planted in the garden without having to disturb the roots of small plants.
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Larger containers should also be bought, or acquired, for container gardening ideas. Remember you can buy specially designed potato barrels and strawberry planters nowadays and you can grow many herbs, fruit and veg in large pots and containers. Starting a garden can be as decorative and artistic as you like.
I love these - perfect for a smaller garden...
Hanging Strawberry Planter Bag with 8 Pockets Wall Hanging (Amazon UK)
Veggie Patch:
In an ideal world, a veggie patch should be divided into four or more sections to allow for crop rotation. In a smaller garden, the vegetable patch should be replenished every year with well-rotted manure or compost, or other food for your soil.
Every plant that grows takes nutrients from the soil - a good reason to get rid of weeds! Consider raised beds and containers to increase the growing area for fruit and veg.
Containers:
Containers can be very useful as well as practical. Grow herbs in containers on the patio so they are available to add directly to your 'al fresco' summer meals. Pots of herbs can be grown on windowsills and other bright spots indoors.
Many vegetables can be grown in large containers so there's no excuse if you have a couple of pots lying around! Look for old and interesting containers in markets or car boot sales. If they don't have drainage, put a well-drained pot inside and plant into this pot.
All plants need good drainage. Water-logging will rot the roots very quickly.
Flowers:
There are so many incredible flowers that can be grown at home that you can get lost for days in a seed catalogue! Go for the ones you like, or if you have no idea, consider a few points before you start:
*height and space required
*colours and scent
*annual/perennial
*support structure needed? i.e. for climbing plants
*ground cover plants
If you are simply crazy about roses for example, experiment and grow as many different varieties as you dare. Flowers can also be designed with colour in mind. Grow flowers to match the decor in the lounge perhaps? :-) I've put up a few different flower pages here..Flowers
Themes:
Again flowers and colour could be themes to stick with, or there are other possibilities.. How about a butterfly garden? Or maybe encourage ladybirds to your garden to deal with the greenfly on your roses?
A herb garden can take over the whole space if you so wish and many herbs will grow well in containers.
Starting a garden from scratch or even with a residue of someone else's past efforts, is probably one of the most creative experiences to enjoy, with many practical bonuses - fresh organic food, sweet smelling flowers in the house, a little physical exercise and a general feeling of well-being. And it's never too late to start.
Many plants will survive and stay green right through the winter as well as the summer months.
NB: If the garden just seems too cold and wet and uninviting at the moment, get some herbs going indoors - aloe vera, for example, is a must-have in the kitchen!