Thinking of Starting a Garden? Read This First
Few things can be as rewarding as having a garden. Aside from delicious vegetables and/or beautiful flowers, there’s something therapeutic about the steps involved in creating a garden and keeping it thriving long-term. And if you’ve never done it before, don’t worry—it’s a very practical endeavor if you start small and stay committed to the process. Here is some advice on how to get started:
The First Stages
Sometimes, the hardest part of doing something new is getting started.
- Be sure to start small and take your time when planning and creating your first garden.
- Consider your needs, and draw up a layout for your garden.
- Build some raised garden beds for added convenience and function.
- Research easy-to-grow vegetables (e.g.,lettuce, root vegetables, tomatoes).for your area.
Maintaining the Garden
As with anything worth having, keeping a healthy garden requires some work.
- First, learn how to enrich the soil in your garden.
- Also, use a mulch to protect your crops, conserve water, and fight weeds.
- And be sure to learn when and how to water your plants.
- Keep your garden free of weeds and harmful insects.
- Keeping insects and pests away are other ways to maintain a healthy garden.
Growing in a Small Space
If you’re working with limited space, there are a few other considerations:
- Vertical gardening is your best friend when you’re trying to grow in a small area.
- Mix your crops and be selective with what you grow to maximize your garden’s value.
- You can even have a productive garden if you live in an apartment; avocados, kale, potatoes, and strawberries are a few of many things you could grow.
Other Incidentals
Gardening can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.
- If you want a more involved garden but it’s out of your depth, look to Anne Roberts Gardens for help designing your dream garden.
- You can have your soil tested to determine what nutrients your soil is missing.
- A simple sprinkler system can be an easy DIY afternoon project.
- If you plan to DIY a more sophisticated lawn watering system, know all the parts required (.e.g. valve, backflow preventer, etc.)
If you’re thinking about starting a garden, you should! It’s a great way to enhance your property, your nutrition, your exercise and quality of life in general.
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